I Can't Lose You
by SapphireSpark
Summary: Lilly has finally graduated, the Autobots have settled into their new home on Earth, and with the leader of the Decepticons dead, things are starting to look up. A new threat arises with the discovery of an ancient artifact, one believed to be long gone. Will the Autobots be able to destroy it, or will Earth face ultimate destruction? Bumblebee/OC
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Prologue: The Orb of Darkness**

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The Grand Canyon was a place of wonder, attracting millions of people from all across the globe. The beauty spoke for itself, brilliant rock features and rivers catching the attention of anyone who happened to glance their way. But, unknown to any human being was a cave on the floor of the large canyon, hidden by layers of rock that had formed over many centuries.

Inside the cave was an legendary artifact that had remained untouched since its arrival to Earth. It was shaped like a sphere, a purplish-red substance flowing beneath the outer shell. There was a thick layer of dust settled upon it from resting in the same spot for hundreds of years. An extremely deadly energy radiated off of it, powerful enough to change a Cybertronian spark. In what ways it changed a spark was classified, known only to the creators of what the Cybertronians referred to as "The Orb of Darkness".

Created by two Autobots during the war on Cybertron as an experiment, The Orb was an attempt to end the war, its energy powerful enough to destroy an entire side. The creators soon realized their mistake and tried to lock all files about The Orb and destroy it, only to fail in the end. Within time the Decepticons discovered its power and the two Autobots had no choice but to launch their experiment into space in hopes that it would be dismantled. Four years later it crash-landed onto planet Earth in a state that would be known as Arizona, soon to be the home of the human race.

The Decepticons arrived to Earth aiming to find The Orb and use its power for the destruction of all organic beings and Autobots alike. Distracted by the presence of the Allspark, the Decepticons raced against the Autobots to find their planet's life source, only to watch it destroy their leader in the end. With Megatron offlined, the Decepticons continued to search for The Orb, its powerful energy drawing them towards its location.

Little did both sides know that a young girl holds the key inside of her. She is the only being who can reverse the effects of The Orb and destroy it, the power of Primus within her.

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A Saleen-Modified Ford Mustang Police Cruiser flew down the highway, carelessly weaving in and out of traffic. There was no driver in the front seat, the steering wheel turning itself as the car switched lanes. Men and women driving to work early in the morning honked their horns at the reckless police vehicle, probably writing down its license plate number in hopes to report it.

Barricade growled to himself, irritated at how _long_ it was taking to arrive to Arizona. He could feel it, he could sense the energy getting stronger, but it was going to be very difficult to find exactly what he was looking for. A comm link opened, Soundwave requesting to speak with him.

:Barricade, report in:

:I am getting close, Soundwave. My systems are detecting the energy:

:How long until you will be able to find it?:

:I do not know. I can't exactly locate its position:

There was a pause on the other end of the comm link and Barricade waited patiently for his comrade to respond, although getting slightly annoyed as a car swerved in front of him.

:You are nearing it, Barricade. Please try to find it as fast as you can:

:I will try my best, Soundwave. Anything on the location of Megatron or the Allspark shard?: Barricade asked, hoping that the communications officer had gotten a lead on where the body of their fallen leader was.

:No: Was the only response, the word slowly settling into Barricade's processor. There was a click as the comm link closed, silence overcoming the Decepticon as he continued down the highway.

The car shook as he let out a low growl, revving his engine angrily. How _dare_ the Autobots take their leader away from them, let alone hide his remain where they could not be found! He could not wait to see the looks on the Autobots' disgusting faceplates when they discovered The Orb was in the Decepticon's hands. One thing Barricade's spark was sure of was that his enemies did not stand a _single_ chance against the power of the legendary Cybertronian artifact.

"You will see, Lord Megatron," Barricade hissed through his radio, "the Autobots will soon be forever gone and therefore the human race will be ours to control!"

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	2. Graduation Day

**Background Information: In this story, I have created an OC, an 18 year old girl named Lilly. Her guardian is Bumblebee, and she pretty much went through everything Sam did in the first TF movie (I will have a story about that after this one is done). This story is set in the beginning of ROTF, but I have a _whole_ new plot with my character. Lilly is going to college, which will be one of the few things that is similar about this story to the second TF movie. Just to let you know, Bumblebee and Lilly are _not_ a couple right now.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 1: Graduation Day**

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"Primus, Sideswipe, hurry up!" Ratchet growled, glaring at the silver mech as he wheeled around the NEST hangar.

Everyone had already hidden and was ready for the big surprise, well, except for Sideswipe.

"Hang on, Hatchet," Sideswipe said, laughing as the medic sent an angry glare his way. Flicking off the lights he quickly wheeled to his hiding spot, crouching behind a wall.

Silence filled the dark hangar until someone yelled, "They're coming!" Everyone got into position, making sure they couldn't be seen from the door.

A black and yellow Camaro drove through the large entrance of the hangar, coming to a stop a few feet into the building. The doors swung open as two people stood out, one being a girl, the other being a boy. The girl remained still, a black bandana wrapped around her face, moving her head side to side curiously. She was wearing an academic dress with a matching cap, just returning from her high school graduation.

The boy walked around the car and stood behind her, slowly lifting the bandana off of her head.

"SURPRISE!" Both humans and Autobots jumped from their hiding spots and the lights turned on, confetti reflecting the light as it shimmered from the ceiling. Her eyes scanned the hangar as at least fifty people came out of their hiding places, cheering loudly. The girl squealed in delight, covering her mouth from shock.

"You've got to be kidding me!" she said, turning around to hug the boy behind her. "This is amazing!"

She walked towards where the majority of people were gathered, both human and Autobot. They continued to clap as the girl came to a stop in the middle of the large group, a huge smile upon her face. The hangar fell silent as the clapping died down, everyone waiting to hear the girl's response.

"Wow," she muttered, turning around as she stared at everybody. "This is... simply incredible! Thank you all for supporting me on my graduation day, it means a lot coming from you guys," she motioned to the Autobots and people around her, who were mostly soldiers. "I can't express in words how grateful I am to have each and every single one of you in my life. Thank you." Applause erupted again, whoops and cheers coming from all directions.

A man from the crowd walked towards the girl, grinning at her as he held something behind his back.

"Hey, Lennox," the girl said as she gave him a quick hug. Lennox pulled away, smiling as he held up the object from its spot behind his back.

It was a medal, the word "NEST" engraved onto the golden pendant. The ribbon tied around it was an ocean blue, matching the color of the girl's eyes.

Lennox coughed, grabbing everyone's attention. "We would like to present this medal to Lilly Roth for being one of the most special soldiers we have ever had, even though she isn't really trained," he joked, a couple laughs coming from the crowd. The girl, Lilly, grinned at him and chuckled. "She saved the world and we would like to thank her for her bravery and kindness towards all of us, human and Autobot alike. Congratulations, Lilly. We are all very proud of you."

Lilly stood motionless as he placed the medal around her neck, her mouth wide open in shock. Tears shined in her eyes and she gulped as one slid down her cheek. "Thank you," she almost whispered, holding the medal gently. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

To her surprise a group of soldiers gathered around and lifted Lilly into the air, chanting, "Lilly! Lilly!" The rest of the crowd joined and she laughed as her name echoed through the interior of the hangar. _Life can't get much better than this_ , she thought, closing her eyes as she let happiness overcome her thoughts.

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After most of the people finished congratulating Lilly, the party had finally started. Music rang through the air as the soldiers gathered into groups, laughing as they told stories from recent battles to each other. Some Autobots used their holoforms while others remained in their robot mode.

Lilly was at the food table, wondering which type of chicken she should pick. _Regular or spicy?_ She contemplated it for a moment, before finally deciding on the regular type as she placed a few wings on her plate.

She turned around when someone called her name and watched a man and woman approaching, wearing huge grins on their faces.

"Congratulations, sweetie!" the woman said, wrapping her arms tightly around her daughter. "I can't tell you how proud I am."

Lilly grinned happily, responding with a "Thanks, Mom." She turned to the man who was standing nearby and her face brightened.

"Hi, Dad," she said, and her father pulled her into a hug.

"Lils, I am so incredibly proud of you. You did it! You graduated high school!" Lilly nodded, giggling as he tickled her in the stomach. "But, you'll always be my little girl to me."

Behind the trio were a few robots staring happily at the family. The tallest one, Optimus Prime, knelt down, a smile formed across his faceplates.

"We, the Autobots, would like to congratulate you on your graduation, Lilly. Well done," his deep voice rang throughout the hangar and the girl looked up, a wide grin upon her face.

"Thank you, Optimus," she replied and he nodded, standing up. A short but very strong looking robot approached the girl, his black metal reflecting the bright lights.

"Congrats, kiddo," he said cheerfully, a slight British accent in his voice. "Now, I can have more time to show you my brand new cannons!" Lilly took a step back as large guns appeared on his thick soldiers and arms, the substance inside of them glowing.

"Ironhide, is this really the time to be doing this?" Lilly said, motioning to her terrified parents. The robot looked down, his lip plates forming into a frown as he noticed their reactions.

"Oops, sorry," Ironhide muttered, walking away. Lilly shook her head and laughed, beginning to head towards an empty table with her plate of food.

"Well sweetie, your father and I are going to get some food," Lilly's mother said, walking quickly towards the line at the buffet. Her dad waved as he passed by, jogging to catch up to his wife.

Lilly took a deep breath as she sat at an empty table and watched everyone around her laughing and having a good time. The chair next to her moved, a boy with soft, baby blue eyes sitting down next to her.

"Hey, Bee!" Lilly exclaimed, looking at the boy who was the one that had taken off her bandana. "This is amazing, isn't it?"

Bumblebee nodded and ran a hand through his yellowish-blonde hair. "So, this is what a human party looks like, huh?"

"Yep! Lots of food, music, and people having fun," Lilly replied. "It's crazy how much they changed the hangar for this! It looks so different."

Instead of the normal military vehicles and planes spread out in the hangar, they had all disappeared, replaced by a large amount of circular tables. On the sides were long tables with buffet-style food, and in the middle was a large dance floor with a glittering disco ball hanging from the ceiling.

"Yeah, it was a pain to move everything out of here, especially the jets," Bumblebee said, laughing. He looked at the girl, happiness spreading across his face. "Congrats, Lilly." Bee gave her a soft smile.

Lilly looked at the holoform in front of her, grabbing his hand that felt _so_ real. She gave it a gentle squeeze, a soft expression across her face. "Thanks, Bee. Especially for driving me to and from school every day, that must have been a real big hassle for you. Thank you," she said, leaning forward and giving him a friendly kiss on the cheek.

Bumblebee froze, a soft blue tint appeared across his cheeks, his eyes staring widely at her. She just laughed, popping a french fry into her mouth. "N-No problem," he stuttered, his cheeks growing even bluer as he blushed, his spark beating frantically. _Primus, why do I always act like this around her?_ he asked himself.

The girl ate her food happily as Bumblebee sat in his chair, looking around the hangar. He noticed the Autobots talking to the soldiers and couldn't help but smile as he saw how cheerful his family was.

The song _Casper Cha-Cha Slide_ came on and multiple people let out loud whoops as the majority of the soldiers made their way towards the large dance floor. Lilly laughed and stood up, grabbing Bumblebee's hand.

"Have you ever danced before?" she asked him, playfully pulling him towards the dance floor.

"Ummm, no," he said, pulling back as he realized what she had in mind.

"Well, let's see if you have any skills!" Lilly giggled, motioning towards where everybody was beginning to gather.

"Can we not?"

"Come on Bee, this song is awesome! It's the _Cha-Cha Slide_!"

"Fine…" Bumblebee moaned, following Lilly towards the large crowd as everybody was clapping their hands to the beat of the song. Lilly started doing the moves and Bumblebee couldn't help but dance along, laughing as Lilly gave him a smirk.

"Think you're better than me?" she teased.

"Just wait and see," he said, stomping the ground as the song had told them to.

Even the Autobots got into the groove of the song, making the ground shake as they jumped and stomped their pedes. Everyone was laughing and singing along as they did the moves, cheering when they convinced even Optimus to join the dance.

" _One hop this time, one hop this time. Right foot two stomps, left foot two stomps,"_ the song repeated itself and Bumblebee started to enjoy it, smiling as he tried to jump higher than Lilly.

Lilly closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she danced along to the beat, her heart thrumming with happiness. It was the best day of her life, and she was beyond grateful she was able to spend it with her family, both human and robot alike.

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Darkness was the only word that could describe it. And silent. _Very_ silent. Everything was pitch black, except for a faint, glowing light.

The light came from a blue substance, swirling in a circle, almost like a fog. Inside that fog was an image of Lilly laughing at the party, pure joy spread across her face.

"Yes…" a deep voice said, trailing off almost like it was thinking. "I have been right all of these years. She will be the one. She will hold my power and put an end to this war." The voice belonged to Primus, his words echoing through the air. A large metallic hand reached out, touching the fog as a bright light encased the image of Lilly.

"Young child, you will soon come to realize the powers that you have. In time… You will see. Only _you_ will be able to save the Autobots from destruction." Primus looked at the mist as the image of Lilly began to fade. The blue substance dispersed, falling into the black surroundings like small, twinkling snowflakes.

"Be safe, my child," was all Primus said, the darkness soon falling to silence once again.

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 **Please review, my friends! I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	3. Don't You Worry Child

**A slow chapter, but very important for building up the plot. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 2: Don't You Worry Child**

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 ***Two Months Later***

Lilly groaned as the bright light from her window blinded her, slowly opening her sleepy eyes. Someone very familiar was standing over her, an amused expression spread across his face as he watched her struggle against the light. She wiped the drool from her mouth and sat up, yawning, and picked the crust build up from around her eyes. She still hadn't fully noticed the figure standing near her, holding back a laugh as he watched silently.

She finally looked over, her eyes still halfway closed. "Oh, hey Bee," she said, giving him a sleepy smile.

He let out the laugh he had been holding in, his bright blue eyes falling onto her dark blue ones as a smirk crossed his face. "Hello, sleepyhead," he teased, ruffling her light brown hair. "It looks like you finally realized I was here."

Annoyance crossed her face. "Well, when you wake up with your eyes still practically glued together, it's kind of hard to notice someone standing over you." She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Wait, why are you waking me up?"

He leaned back, crossing his arms around his chest. "Well, if you haven't noticed, today is your big day. I tried to make you breakfast, but…" he looked away, an embarrassed look falling upon his face.

Lilly raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming. "You…what?" she encouraged him to tell her.

He made eye contact with her and gave her a sheepish smile. "I may or may not have started a small stove fire. Your mom came running in and managed to save the day."

Lilly looked stunned for a moment and all of a sudden burst out laughing. Bumblebee gave her a look of annoyance, putting up his hands in defense. "Hey, I'm sorry I'm not used to your Earth food! I have never learned to cook in my life, you should give me credit for at least trying to do something nice for you."

Lilly glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It read 8:04 am, and she rolled her eyes.

Looking back up at the holoform of her Guardian, she replied, "Thanks for trying, Bee. I know how Earth things can be… rather confusing to the Autobots. I like the effort, though."

Bumblebee's face softened as he heard the truth in her voice. He knew Lilly appreciated every little thing he did for her, even though he wasn't always successful in doing it.

"Well, you should go get some breakfast," he muttered, "I'm sure your mom did a _lot_ better job in making you something you would actually want to eat." He smiled at her as she began to take the covers off of her legs.

Sliding her feet from under the bed, Lilly stood up, walking by her Guardian with an evident smirk still across her face. As she entered the hallway, she turned back to find that Bumblebee's holoform had disappeared, and continued towards the stairs. She nearly ran into her dad, who had been climbing up them.

"Oops, sorry sweetie," he said, an expression of guilt across his face. "I guess I'm a little rushed since today is your moving day… I still can't believe my little girl is going to college," he smiled sadly at her.

"I know, I can't believe it too," Lilly sighed, giving her father a quick kiss on the cheek. She smiled at him and continued down the stairs, her father heading towards her room.

She entered the kitchen, the faint smell of smoke filling her nostrils as she entered its threshold, which must have been from the small stove fire earlier caused by Bumblebee.

"Hey mom," she mumbled as she walked by her mother, Caroline, doing the dishes.

The older woman looked back, giving her daughter a smile. "Hi honey. You should have seen what that robot had done this morning, he almost burned the house to the ground!" she practically shouted, a hint of anger in her voice.

"Mom, you know he didn't mean to," Lilly said, narrowing her eyes in a glare. "He really tries his best, but he isn't from our planet, so he's not accustomed to our Earth ways."

Her mom's face softened, and she sighed. "I know Lilly, it can just get frustrating when I have to take care of every little mess he makes. I know how close you two are, but he is like another child to take care of," she said, looking at her daughter while picking up a plate to wash.

The young girl looked down at the table sadly. Her parents had never grown as close to Bumblebee as Lilly had and they experienced some trust issues with letting the youngling take care of their daughter. But, once Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, had politely spoken to her parents assuring them Bumblebee would never harm her, they hesitantly opened their trust towards the yellow mech. They watched as Lilly had grown close to the Autobot, seeing how happy Bumblebee had made their daughter. Lilly had healed from the events of her past, and her parents finally accepted the Autobot into their family.

"I know sometimes he may act like a child, but he _is_ one of the youngest Autobots, so you have to keep that in mind. But don't worry, he'll be gone soon. No more messes to clean up."

Caroline chuckled. "I think I'm going to miss this robot. We've had some good times with him."

Nodding, Lilly noticed her mother was staring at her. She raised an eyebrow, using it as a sign to ask her mom what she wanted.

Clearing her throat, Lilly's mother hesitantly asked, "Are you ready for today?" She dried her hands off on a towel, walking over to prepare breakfast.

In her heart, Lilly wasn't ready. Not seeing Mom or Dad was going to have such a big impact on her. Since she was an only child, her parents were some of her closest friends, and leaving them was going to be difficult. The familiar face of a robot faded into her mind. The fact that Bumblebee, her Guardian and best friend couldn't come with her, broke her heart.

Lilly clutched the table as she remembered seeing Bee, dragging his body along the ground, legs gone from an explosion caused by Starscream. Images of people screaming, violence all around her, holding the Allspark and running for her life… Her body began to shake and she closed her eyes tightly. She shook her head, scolding herself for thinking about that awful day on an exciting one like this.

Caroline caught this, and a look of concern fell upon her. "Sweetie, are you okay?" her mother asked, and Lilly finally opened her eyes, looking up to find her mother staring at her with concern.

She forced a smile and sighed. "Everything is great, Mom. Just some memories is all. And to answer your question, yes I think I'm ready. I'm just a little nervous."

Her mother walked to the table where Lilly was sat at, bringing a plate of warm, chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. She pulled a seat next to her daughter. "I know how you feel. But college can be an amazing thing if you really try to enjoy it," she said, a soft smile forming on her lips.

Lilly's mother watched with amusement as her daughter began to wolf down the whole plate of pancakes and side of bacon.

"As I was saying earlier, college isn't scary once you get used to it. It's a time in your life when you can discover who you truly are, and you can meet some amazing people as well," she said, patting her daughter's hand.

The sound of footsteps came into the kitchen, and her father's deep voice filled the room, "It's where I met your mother!" He laughed and stopped next to his wife, wrapping his arms around her lovingly.

"Oh Jim, stop it," Caroline blushed, giving a small laugh as she smiled up at her husband and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

Lilly grinned at the sight of her cheerful parents. She got up, her pancakes and bacon finished and walked over to where her parents were still hugging each other. She wrapped her arms around them as well, sadness and happiness filling her heart and whispered, "I'm going to miss you guys so much."

Her father wrapped his arm around her, bringing the family closer together. He gave his daughter a small squeeze and said, "We will miss you even more, Lils."

Lilly smiled at being called her old nickname, reminding her of her childhood. She slowly unwrapped her arms from her parents and began to walk towards the kitchen door, stopping as she reached the entrance. "I'm going to go get dressed, I'll see you guys soon," she said softly. She rounded the corner and headed upstairs, her light footsteps treading up the wooden staircase.

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 **Thanks to everyone who has left a review! They are very appreciated and helpful :) Thank you.**

 **– SapphireSpark**

 **Credit to the song "Don't You Worry Child" for the title by Swedish House Mafia**


	4. See You Again

**Thank you to RoboDork97 and Answerthecall for leaving me my first reviews! I also created a new Decepticon, because I don't know the names and personalities of many of the Cons (I have never seen G1 because I was born a long time after the shows) xD. I named him Firewarp, and he is a Seeker for the Cons, so he can fly! I hope you like him as a character, I find him quite amusing.**

 **Any guesses as to what will happen in the future? Feel free to write a review, I would love to see what you guys think! Now, onward with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 3: See You Again**

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As Lilly entered her room, she let out a deep breath, looking over the empty walls and floors. Slipping on a t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants she quickly made her bed, smoothing the sheets down for the last time that summer.

Wandering to her bathroom down the hall, she brushed and flossed her teeth, smiling in front of the mirror to check how they looked. She walked back towards her room and entered, noticing that the boxes from the previous day were gone. Her father had probably brought them down while she was sleeping in the morning.

Lilly's eyes fell on something shiny sitting on her nightstand and she walked over, curiosity getting the best of her. It was a necklace with a bumblebee on it and she smiled, picking it up. Bumblebee had given this to her on her 18th birthday, and Lilly was grateful to have received such a thoughtful gift from him. She clipped it behind her neck and let it fall, gently resting on her chest.

Turning around, Lilly jumped and let out a small shriek as she realized someone had appeared in the doorway, watching her. The boy laughed at her reaction and slowly walked over to her, where she remained, trying to catch her breath.

Lilly glared at him, narrowing her blue eyes. "Bee, you scared the crap out of me. Why does it seem like you always appear at the worst times?"

Bumblebee scratched the back of his head, trying to look innocent. "I don't try to scare you, I feel like you just get frightened very easily," he said, his bright blue eyes staring at her.

Lilly rolled her eyes. "I'm sure most humans would freak out if they saw their door with nothing under it, looked away, and looked back to see someone staring at them for God knows how long."

Bumblebee stepped even closer to her and reached his hand towards her collarbone, gently picking up the bumblebee pendant on her necklace. Changing the topic, he mumbled, "I like your necklace," and gave her a warm smile.

Lilly looked up and returned the smile. "Gee, I wonder who gave it to me," she joked, as he let it fall onto her chest again. Suddenly, a pang of sadness and fear fell upon her as she realized they didn't have much time left until they would have to separate.

Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms tightly around her Guardian and buried her face into his chest. Bumblebee, shocked at this sudden change in Lilly's behavior, wrapped his strong arms around her small frame and brought her closer to him. She felt his spark humming in his chest, calming her slightly.

Concern overcame the holoform as he looked down at the girl, stroking her hair. "Lilly, what's wrong?" he gently asked her, tilting her chin up to look at him. Her blue eyes met his and she looked away, ashamed at her childish behavior.

"I… I just can't believe this day has come. I've spent all my life here," she motioned to her room. "I just don't feel ready yet, to leave my parents… to leave you." She barely whispered the last word, but Bumblebee had caught it.

Bumblebee backed away from Lilly, his hands on her shoulders, keeping her an arms length away. "Lilly, I promise nothing bad will happen to you. I know you'll love college and that you will be fine without me for a little while. Do you think I would let you go alone if I knew you could be in danger?" he asked her, and she shook her head. Bumblebee was rather over-protective of Lilly, but she knew it was for her own good.

Lilly let out a sigh. "I guess you're right, Bee. I'm acting so selfishly– you shouldn't be forced to be with me forever… I don't know what I'm thinking. I'm sorry." Something stirred inside of Bumblebee as she apologized, a small voice in his processor saying ' _But I do want to be with you forever!'_ He shook it away, knowing now was not the time.

He laughed, surprising Lilly at his response. "I'm pretty sure if I didn't enjoy being in your presence, I would have left long ago," he said. "The second I met you, Lilly, I knew that you were the one. And, evidently, my spark agreed with me, choosing you as my charge. So don't _ever_ think that I see you as an annoyance in my life."

Lilly opened her mouth to respond when her mother's voice came from downstairs.

"Honey, it's time to get going! It's 8:54, you should be leaving by 9:00!"

Bumblebee glanced at Lilly. "Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the door. Lilly looked around one last time at the place where she had grown up. "Goodbye," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else as she walked through the door into the silent hallway, following Bumblebee's lead.

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 *** Three Weeks Earlier***

A small Decepticon walked towards Starscream, a nervous look in his red optics. He bowed to the current leader of the Decepticons, and Starscream snapped, "What do you want, Firewarp?"

The red and orange Decepticon took a step back at the harshness of Starscream's words.

"M-m-master," he stammered, his spark racing, "We have not yet discovered the location of the AllSpark shard, but we are close. Soundwave will hack into a government satellite soon in hopes to receive some information on where it may be located."

Starscream let out a growl and Firewarp whimpered. "You fool! Why haven't you already discovered the location of the shard!" he practically screamed at the Seeker.

"We have tried everything, master, but the Autobots keep taking us out!" he cried, trying to control his fear while fidgeting with his servos nervously.

Starscream angrily continued walking until he stopped rather closely to the smaller Decepticon, his form hunched and menacing. "Those Autobots are worthless piles of scrap metal. They should _not_ be defeating us this easily," he growled. Firewarp gave a small nod and Starscream vented, asking, "Have you received any more information on The Orb?"

Realizing this was his chance to redeem himself, Firewarp exclaimed, "Ah, yes master! Barricade has been receiving faint traces of dark energy from the areas around the Grand Canyon located in Arizona," Seeing the pleasure on Starscream faceplates, Firewarp continued. "He is not sure of the exact location, my master, but he is getting very close."

Starscream smirked at his comrade. "Very well, Firewarp. Once we revive Lord Megatron, we shall pursue in finding and retrieving The Orb. When we obtain it, we will be undefeatable, and can finally extinguish those _wretched_ Autobots," he shuttered his optics, imagining the looks of defeat on their enemies.

Starscream reopened them, looking at Firewarp. "Tell Soundwave I wish for him to hurry up. If you two don't find that shard soon," he paused, sneering, "I'll just say I would look out while you recharge. You are dismissed," he said, shooing his servo at the Seeker.

Firewarp whimpered at the threat and nodded, backing up and transforming mid step into a F-22 Raptor fighter jet, slightly smaller than Starscream's own alt form but similar nonetheless. He rocketed into the sky, slowly shrinking from Starscream's view.

The large Decepticon turned from watching Firewarp disappear, and muttered, "Don't worry, Lord Megatron. Soon you shall be alive yet again, and there will be no way for the Autobots to stop us."

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Lilly backed up, wiping the tears from her eyes as she smiled at her mother. She glanced at the yellow Camaro to the right and watched as her father placed the final box in the backseat. He stood up, and turned around to face his daughter. Lilly approached him, and the two wrapped their arms tightly around each other.

He whispered in her ear, "Goodbye, sweetheart. Make sure you don't get into trouble." He pulled away, winking at her.

She smiled and gave a small laugh, "I'll try my best, Dad." The brunette leaned forward and kissed her father on the cheek, opening the passenger door to the car.

Lilly climbed in and watched as the door shut itself. The window rolled down and she leaned out, waving to her parents as Bumblebee began to pull out of the drive way.

Before the Camaro switched the gear to drive, Lilly's mother called her name.

"I love you! Call me when you get to the hotel, okay?" she yelled, waving her arms at her daughter.

Lilly laughed, "Of course I will, I love you both so much! See you in a couple months!"

Her parents continued to wave until the Camaro had disappeared from view. Jim looked at his wife to find tears falling slowly down her face. "Don't worry, Caroline," he said, and turned her to face him. "She'll be fine," he muttered softly, smiling at his wife.

"I know," Caroline whispered, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "It's just hard to have my baby gone and all grown up."

Jim nodded and the two of them joined hands, watching as a hummingbird hovered around a flower bush next to the driveway.

"She's beginning the new chapter of her life," Jim said, watching as another hummingbird joined the one at the bush. "It's time to let her find out who she truly is."

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 **Yes, another short chapter, future ones will get longer! This one doesn't really have a cliffhanger, but the next chapter will pretty much be about the long drive to the college and some bonding between Bee and Lilly.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as well as the sneak peak for what the Decepticons are up to :)**

 **Feel free to leave a review if you are enjoying it so far and/or have any suggestions or guesses for future chapter!**

 **– SapphireSpark**

 **Credit to "See You Again" for the title, by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth**


	5. Drive By

**Quick apology: I'm sorry there had to be a long car ride, but Lilly lives very far away from the college she is attending! SO, please stick with me as we go through one more chapter until college (don't worry, it's the next chapter!)**

 **In this chapter we get a glimpse of what'g going on at the base! Keep reading to find out.**

 **Anyways, thank you RoboDork97 and Transformerminionkittycat for leaving the reviews! Please, just take a few seconds of your time to tell me your opinions on the story so far! I want to know your predictions, thoughts, and any questions you have. I love to read them and respond to every single one of them :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 4: Drive By**

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Two men surrounded a large table, a map of the world spread out in front of them. The man that was standing over the table sighed, as the other one began to pace back and forth, furrowing his brows.

"It just doesn't make sense, Optimus," the man pacing said, running his hand through his light brown hair. He stopped, looking at the other man in the room. "Why are there attacks spread out all over the world? They are obviously searching for something, but _what_ is it, exactly?"

"I do not know, Ratchet," replied Optimus, his deep, baritone voice echoing off the walls. He looked back towards the table and scanned the spots where the thumb red tacks were placed, indicating where an encounter with the enemy had occurred. His eyes stopped moving along the map as they fell onto a place in the United States, where there were multiple thumb tacks placed in various locations.

Noticing the puzzled face on his leader, Ratchet walked towards the wooden table, stopping next to him. He looked at the spot where the leader's eyes had fallen upon. Suddenly, a thought appeared into his head, and he looked at Optimus eagerly.

"If you look here," he said, pointing to a thumb tack placed where Colorado is located, "There was an attack in Colorado. And if you look here," his finger pointed to another spot, "there was one in Texas."

Optimus nodded, catching onto Ratchet's lead. "Here," the leader spoke and pointed to New Mexico, "Was a recent attack just last week." Ratchet looked at Optimus, realization dawning upon his face.

"They have all been directed in the western part of the United States," the medic said, glancing at the map again. "Maybe they are close to something. Do you know of anything that may have came to this planet from Cybertron, perhaps?"

Optimus shook his head. "I cannot think of anything right now, old friend. We will have to look through the systems and see if we can find some data." Ratchet was about to open his mouth and speak when a familiar voice came from a nearby hallway.

"Optimus, there is a visitor here to see you," a man said, stopping at the doorway. The two holoforms glanced at the doorway to find the man smiling at them.

"Hello, Major Lennox," Optimus said, returning the smile with one of his own. "Who is here to see me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the Major.

Lennox's smile immediately faded into a frown as he rolled his eyes. "It's Galloway. He has some complaints about the recent attacks that have been going on."

Optimus sighed, shaking his head. That man never stopped bothering him and ever since he started showing up at the base, he was know as the "Bearer of Bad News". The leader of the Autobots looked at his medical officer and said, "I will see you soon, Ratchet."

Ratchet nodded and let his holoform disappear, blue sparks beginning from his feet as they went up his body. Within seconds, the medical officer's holoform was gone.

Lennox motioned for Optimus to follow him and they began down the hallway that Lennox previously came from. "Did you two find anything?" the Major asked, hoping that they may have discovered what the Decepticons were up to.

Optimus frowned, making eye contact with Lennox. "We noticed that the recent attacks have been in the western part of the United States. Ratchet believes that they may be looking for something from Cybertron that has come to Earth," he said, both of them stopping as they entered the hangar.

Lennox shook his head, sighing. "We will talk about this later," he motioned to the platform, where many people were gathered. "It's time to see what this government idiot wants."

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"You… what?" Lilly said, bursting into laughter. She held her stomach, pain flowing through it from laughing too hard. Bumblebee glanced at her, laughing as well, his head thrown back.

"I know… I was gone for 2 whole megacycles, and they simply couldn't find me," Bumblebee explained and Lilly laughed even harder, picturing a young little Bumblebee hiding for two hours as the older Autobots frantically searched for him.

Bumblebee added, "And the best part is, when they told to me come out, I refused, because I thought they were trying to trick me." He chuckled, remembering how reluctant he was to come out of the closet, his favorite hiding spot as a sparkling.

Lilly wiped the tears from her eyes. "What did they do when they found you?" she asked.

"Ironhide looked like he was about to have a meltdown. He grabbed me from my hiding spot inside the closet and sat me down and lectured me, telling me that he would never let me play Hide n' Seek again," Bee said, shaking his head from the memory. "Ironhide was so worried that a Decepticon had kidnapped me, he made Ratchet scan me again and again to make sure I wasn't harmed."

The girl smiled, finally catching her breath. "It's good to know that they really care about you. You know, that they're always worried about your safety," she said softly.

Her Guardian smiled. "I guess you're right. If I was a Decepticon, no one would have looked for me or panicked. They would simply forget about me." Lilly nodded, leaning back in the leather seat.

For three hours Bumblebee had been telling her stories about his childhood and the war on Cybertron. Lilly was glad he was so open about his past, because it worried her to talk to him about everything that had happened. _Especially_ since the war had caused so much death and destruction to his home planet.

Turning on his right blinker, Bumblebee switched to the farthest lane on the right and drove off the highway, slowing as he reached a rest area. He parked at an open parking spot, and Lilly got out, stretching and yawning.

She looked at the familiar holoform of Bumblebee as he got out of the car and she gave him a questioning look. "I wonder why, even though it's only been 3 hours I still feel like I have been locked inside of a box for so many days," she said, giving her legs a good stretch.

Bumblebee gave a sarcastic laugh. "Now you know what it's like to stay in an alt mode for a long time. It's not fun." Lilly raised an eyebrow at the comment and put her hands up defensively.

"Hey, I wasn't trying to be mean. But I understand, you know, your troubles," she tried to keep her face serious, but as the blonde haired boy attempted to glare at her she started to laugh.

Ignoring her comment, Bumblebee grabbed her hand and pulled her into the direction of the cafeteria building. "Let's get you some lunch," he said, and she jogged so she could walk side-by-side with him.

Lilly's stomach growled as they approached a Pizzeria Regina, something Lilly was in the mood for. She ordered two pieces of cheese pizza and a Sprite, while Bumblebee stood awkwardly next to her, declining an offer for food or a drink. They grabbed a table for two and Bumblebee watched with amusement as she hungrily ate her food.

"Are you hungry?" Lilly asked Bumblebee, her mouth full of pizza. He raised an eyebrow, then realized she was talking about energon.

"I'm alright. Your natural resources like gasoline work fine to keep me alive and well, although they don't provide me with everything I need. But don't worry, I'm sure I'll get a lot of energon when I return to the base."

Lilly nodded, then another question popped into her mind. She lowered her voice and leaned forward slightly, so only Bumblebee could hear her. "Are you flying to the base in Diego Garcia?" she asked.

Bumblebee shook his head as a no. "Optimus commed me the other day and said that they are going to the base in DC for a while," he said, and Lilly smiled.

"You'll be pretty close to my college then! You could visit over the weekends!" she exclaimed, but frowned when Bumblebee shook his head.

"With all of the Decepticons activity, I will be busy with missions. I'm sorry," he said, sadness evident in his voice. Lilly merely nodded, sighing to herself. She looked back up to Bumblebee, taking in his holoform's appearance.

Bumblebee's light blonde hair was messily swept to the side, falling just above his eyebrows. It had a soft yellow tone to it and was wavy, similar to her own hair. His eyes were a bright, baby blue color that seemed to practically glow whenever he made eye contact with her. He had a lean, muscular body that caught the attention of many girls.

Often they would approach him and Lilly when they were in public, asking if he wanted to get a drink or what not. Bumblebee would always decline their offer and walk away from them, taking Lilly's hand in his, suggesting to them in a way that "she's mine". Lilly noticed this protective behavior from Bee, but shrugged it off, thinking it was only instinct that made him act that way.

Lilly realized she had zoned out and shook her head, clearing her mind. "Sorry, I got distracted," she mumbled, picking up her trash to bring it to the garbage. Bumblebee followed her, recycling his water bottle in the specific spot for recyclables. The two walked out of the cafeteria towards the yellow Camaro in the parking lot, chatting quietly on the way.

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Once they were back on the highway, Lilly was relatively silent. Bumblebee could tell she was thinking about something that worried her, for she was tapping her foot up and down repeatedly on the floor of his cabin. There was a distant look in her blue eyes and she bit her lips, looking out the window and avoiding eye contact with the boy next to her.

Bumblebee tried to keep his eyes on the road ahead of him, but he kept glancing at her with concern. After about 30 minutes of this, Bee softly asked, "Lilly, what's wrong?" She closed her eyes, and reopened them, slowly turning her head to look at her Guardian.

"I don't want to talk about it," she mumbled, looking at the floor of the Camaro, feeling ashamed. _Why can't I tell him?_ she asked herself.

To be honest, Lilly was afraid. Nightmares haunted her during sleep, at least three times a week and Bumblebee was _always_ there to comfort her. But now, since she was going to college, he would no longer be there to hold her in his arms until she fell asleep. Her roommate was going to have to deal with her waking up and screaming, something she felt awful about.

Bumblebee knew it wasn't a good idea to push Lilly. Humans could be so stubborn and Bee hated when they yelled at him, _especially_ Lilly.

Slowly, he asked, "Um… Would you like to play a game?"

She looked at him and her face softened. "Sure," she said, forcing a smile. "What kind of game?"

"Hmmmm…" he said, thinking. "How about punch buggy? But we can punch pretty hard, to make the game loads more fun," he said, smirking at her.

A look of competition fell upon Lilly's face. "Oh, you're _on."_

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Bumblebee finally pulled up to the hotel at 9:30 pm, driving up to the entrance to drop Lilly off. She got out, taking a small duffel bag out of the back seat and walked to the drivers side. "Have a good night, Bee," she said.

Bumblebee smiled at her and rubbed his arm. "You know, you can punch pretty hard," he moaned.

Lilly rolled her eyes. "You challenged me and I accepted it. I'm not gonna let myself go down easily," she said, giving him a playful smirk.

"Have a good night, Lilly." Bumblebee's holoform leaned forwards to give her a hug and she wrapped arms awkwardly around him while she leaned through the car window.

"You know, this probably looks pretty strange from anyone watching us," Lilly said in his ear, laughing as she pulled away.

Bumblebee chuckled before rolling up the tinted window and driving away to find a parking spot for the night.

Lilly walked into the entrance of the hotel and headed towards the main desk. A young lady with short, blonde hair greeted her, flashing Lilly a lovely smile. "Welcome," she said. "How may I help you?"

Lilly returned the smile, placing her duffel bag on the ground. "I have a room booked, my name is Lilly Roth," she said, and the lady began to flip through a book.

"May I see your ID?" the desk clerk asked, and Lilly handed it to her. The lady returned it shortly after.

"You are on Floor 3, Room #217. The elevators are to your right," she motioned to a hallway nearby and handed Lilly a room key.

"Great, thanks," Lilly said, taking the key and putting it into her pocket. She picked up her bag and threw it over her shoulder, heading towards the elevator.

Once she reached her room, Lilly took out the key and opened the door, walking in. It was a standard hotel room, with two double beds, a small bathroom, a nightstand, a large dresser, and a desk with a chair underneath it. In the corner there was a small armchair, where she placed down her bag and fell onto the bed closest to the window, letting out a deep breath.

She took out her phone, and dialed her mom, knowing that she must be expecting a call by now.

"Hello?" her mother's voice came through the speaker.

"Hi Mom, it's Lilly," she said, smiling even though her mother couldn't see her.

"Sweetie! How was the car ride?"

"It was fine, Bee kept me pretty entertained," she chuckled, shaking her head as she remembered their game of Punch Buggy.

"That's good to hear. I already miss you so much, sweetheart." Her mother said and Lilly gulped, her voice a little shaky.

"I miss you too. How was the day not having me around?"

"Quiet, very quiet. Your father and I relaxed at the country club today by the pool. But we definitely miss your company, it's not the same without you."

"I know Mom, but you'll have to get used to it. For four years, to be exact."

"Aw honey, stop reminding me of that! I feel really old now."

Lilly laughed, "Well, it makes me feel old too. Listen Mom, I probably should get to bed. Tell Dad I say I love and miss him lots!"

"Will do, sweetie. Have a nice night," her mother's kind voice made Lilly's heart ache.

"You too, Mom." She heard the long beep from the phone, indicating that her mother hang up.

Lilly looked out the window at the parking lot and saw Bumblebee parked close to the side her room was on. She thought he was in recharge until he suddenly flashed his lights a few times, probably seeing her looking at him through the window. She laughed happily, giving him a small wave and closed the curtains.

Gathering her pajamas into her arms, Lilly headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Once she had finally got dressed, brushed her teeth, and taken a shower, she slid under the covers and glanced at the clock. It read 10:15 pm. _Not bad_ , she thought to herself as she pulled the sheets up to her chin. She took off her bumblebee necklace and placed it on the nightstand, turning off the light next to her. As darkness surrounded her, she quickly fell asleep.

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 **Please leave a review! :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter, are you liking the characters so far?**

 **– SapphireSpark**

 **Credit to the song "Drive By" for the title, by Train**


	6. Problems and The Government

**In this chapter, I took a part of the script from the ROTF movie and put my own twist to it. So, credit to the Transformers movies for a little bit of what people say in this chapter!**

 **Thank you for all the great reviews, I appreciate them so much! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 5: Problems and The Government**

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Optimus walked up to the catwalk where Galloway, Major Lennox, and a few other men were talking. Galloway turned around when he saw the approaching leader and fixed his glasses, narrowing his eyes into a glare. Lennox was communicating to General Morshower through a camera and glanced at Optimus.

"Now with your permission, I can't let you see him, but I would like you to hear from the leader of the Autobots. He has some information he would like to share with you," Lennox spoke towards the camera that was pointed away from Optimus.

"Proceed," Morshower said, leaning back in his chair.

Optimus stopped and looked at the camera, although he knew the General couldn't see him. "General, our alliance has countermanded over fifteen Decepticon incursions this year, each somewhere within the United States. They're clearly searching around the country for something, but Ratchet and I discovered something today," Optimus said, standing up tall as he moved his gaze around the catwalk, landing on Galloway.

"And what is that?" General Morshower asked, sitting up in his chair and staring intently at Lennox through the screen as he waited for the Autobot leader's response.

"The majority of them have been focused in the western part of the United States. They are getting close to something," Optimus said, venting heavily.

"What may that something be?" Morshower questioned Optimus, tapping a pencil to his lip in thought.

"I do not know. We could check our systems and computers to see if we have any data, but I highly doubt that anything will show up. The only recorded history was contained within the Allspark and lost with its destruction."

General Morshower opened his mouth to respond when a voice interrupted him, belonging to Director Galloway. "Excuse me!" he said rather harshly, glaring at Optimus. "With this so-called AllSpark, now destroyed, why hasn't the enemy left the planet like you thought they would?" he asked, leaning forward on the railing of the catwalk.

Lennox turned to the camera, saying, "Director Galloway, our National Security Advisor. The President just appointed him liaison." He rolled his eyes sarcastically.

The General sighed, mumbling, "Well, I guess I didn't get that memo."

Galloway pushed past a couple soldiers, walking closer to where Optimus was. "Now, under the Alien/Autobot Cooperation Act, you agreed to share your intel with us, but not your advancements in weaponry," he began, but Optimus cut him off.

"We've witnessed your human capacity for war. It would absolutely bring more harm than good," Optimus said, narrowing his optics as he maintained eye contact with Galloway.

Galloway gave Optimus a death glare, biting his bottom lip harshly. "Well, what do we know so far?" he asked, looking around at the soldiers. "We know that the enemy leader, classified NBE One, aka Megatron, is rusting in peace at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyssal, surrounded by SOSUS detection nets and a full-time submarine surveillance," Galloway said, his voice becoming slightly annoyed as he carelessly rambled on about important locations.

"We also know that the only remaining piece of your alien AllSpark is locked in an electromagnetic vault, here on one of the most secure naval bases in the world." Galloway turned back to look at Optimus, who blinked slowly at the director. "And since nobody is telling me what the enemy is now after, there is only one clear conclusion. You! The Autobots! They are here, to hunt you!" he spat, pointing his finger at Optimus.

"And that, Director, is where you are wrong," the Autobot leader said, forming his face plates into a frown.

"Oh yeah? How? What is it that they are after besides you?" Galloway asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Your government must learn that the Decepticons will never leave your planet until they find what they are after. They will do _anything_ in their power to get it, even if it means killing an entire race. It is safest if we remain here, for if we leave, your planet can face ultimate destruction," Optimus narrowed his optics at the Director, clenching his servos tightly.

"We don't need you. We have our own military and do not need your help in defeating the enemies!" Galloway hissed. A couple of the soldiers glanced at each other, rolling their eyes.

"You do not understand, Director. Your planet is in grave danger. I do not want it to have the same fate as my home," Optimus said, trying to warn Galloway.

"You'll see," Director Galloway snapped, pointing a finger angrily at Optimus. "We can beat the enemy ourselves."

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Soundwave drifted through space, the communications officer scanning for a nearby military satellite. He saw one in the distance and smirked to himself. _Foolish humans_ , he thought, slowing down as he approached the large satellite.

A comm link opened from Firewarp and Soundwave grumbled to his comrade.

:What is it, Firewarp?:

:Starscream is rather not pleased with our progress: Firewarp said, his nervousness evident in his voice.

:Do not worry. I will soon discover the location of the Allspark shard and Lord Megatron:

:But Starscream threatened me!:

Soundwave sighed, connecting himself tightly to the military satellite.

:I said do not worry, Firewarp:

An energon signature came into Soundwave's detector and he looked closely as the Seeker was approaching.

:I am almost there, Soundwave: Firewarp closed the comm, his small form coming into view.

Soundwave focused to the task at hand, slowly retrieving information from the satellite's communications. He listened closely as he heard an annoyed voice coming through and tracked it to be coming from an island named Diego Garcia.

"...the enemy leader, classified NBE One, aka Megatron, is rusting in peace at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyssal…" the voice said and Soundwave laughed. He turned his head as Firewarp landed onto the satellite, the Seeker looking curiously at the communications officer as he listened closely.

"...only remaining piece of your alien AllSpark is locked in an electromagnetic vault, here on one of the most secure naval bases in the world…"

"Wow," Soundwave muttered, smirking at Firewarp. "The humans just gave me all of the information I need."

"Really?" Firewarp asked, excitement building up in his systems. Soundwave nodded. "Such foolish beings, those organic fleshlings."

Soundwave found the coordinates to Diego Garcia and locked onto them, launching his minion Ravage into the atmosphere.

"Ravage will retrieve the Allspark and head towards the coordinates of where Lord Megatron is located. You shall wait for him there and gather a few of our comrades to help revive our leader," Soundwave said, turning his head to face the Seeker.

Firewarp gave him a nod as he transformed and headed towards Earth's atmosphere. Soundwave decided to check on Barricade's progress of searching for The Orb and sent a comm link.

:Yes, Soundwave?: Barricade answered.

:Have you found The Orb?:

Barricade vented :Unfortunately, not yet. I have other Decepticons helping me search for it, it is hidden very well. Although, the energy is extremely strong, I can feel it:

:I have discovered the location of the shard and Lord Megatron. Soon, our leader shall be online and we can focus on finding what you are searching for:

:That is great news, Soundwave. Barricade out: The link closed and the communications officer tracked where Ravage was, who was only a few minutes from landing on the beach in Diego Garcia.

Soundwave laughed. "Thank you, humans," he said, looking over planet Earth, "for giving us a pass to destroy your planet. We appreciate it very much."

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 **Gr... Don't you just hate Galloway? He ruins everything! xD**

 **Please leave a review, they are very helpful to me and my writing! :)**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	7. Gone, Gone, Gone

**Chapter 6 is now ready! I hope you guys like it. A new character is introduced in this chapter, and she will be very important throughout the rest of the story!**

 **Thank you to Transformerminionkittycat, Answerthecall, and A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo for leaving reviews!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 6: Gone, Gone, Gone**

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 _Lilly had never run so fast in her life. She dove behind a wall as she heard an explosion, her ears ringing in pain. She slowly, weakly stood up, watching in horror as the building behind her was overcome by flames. Screams could be heard in the distance and she watched people in the building next to the one burning running out as a large robot appeared, firing a gun at the helpless humans._

 _"Stop!" she cried, running towards it. "These are innocent people, please, stop!" The robot turned around and she made eye contact with red optics and gulped. The Decepticon smiled at her menacingly and began to move forward, pointing his gun towards her. She backed up, terrified, but turned her head sharply to the left as she heard someone calling her name._

 _Lilly watched as a yellow robot tackled the Decepticon, both of them crashing into a tall building. She immediately recognized it to be Bumblebee, he had been the one who called her name just seconds ago. Bumblebee glanced quickly at Lilly and shouted, "Run!", but she stood completely still, her feet not moving._

 _Lilly wanted to help fight, but she knew that she couldn't. She was a small, weak, worthless human being._

 _She was brought back to the scene in front of her when she heard a gasping sound and watched in horror as her Guardian was stabbed in the spark, struggling helplessly to pry himself away from the sword inside of him. The sound of a gunshot filled the air and she screamed as Bumblebee collapsed to the ground, his optics dimming until the bright blue was replaced with darkness._

 _"BUMBLEBEE!" she sobbed, sprinting towards the Autobot she held dearest to her heart. Wrapping her arms tightly around his faceplates, tears began to pour down Lilly's face, blinding her vision._

 _"You are next, femme," she heard a voice growl, and looked up to find the Decepticon pointing his gun at her, the tip of it beginning to crackle to life._

 _"No!" she screamed, and a blinding light overcame the girl, bringing her world into complete darkness._

Lilly sat up in bed, her chest heaving up and down, sweat covering her body. She began to shake as she remembered the awful nightmare she had woken from merely seconds ago, and a thought crossed her mind. _Where was I?_ she asked herself, furrowing her brows in confusion as her panicked breathing began to slow.

Normally her dreams were about previous things that had happened in her life, like the Battle of Mission City or other traumatizing events that haunted her. She had never had a dream where she was in a place that was unfamiliar. _Maybe this could be a sign of the future? Like a warning?_ Lilly glanced at the clock on the hotel nightstand, 7:49 am displayed across it. _I guess I should tell Bee_ , she said to herself, reluctantly getting out of bed and heading towards the bathroom.

Lilly quickly got ready in 10 minutes and headed down to the hotel lobby to grab breakfast. Once she checked out, Lilly walked to the entrance to find Bumblebee waiting for her, pulling up to the sidewalk. The passenger door opened and she slipped inside, her seatbelt automatically fastening around her.

Looking towards the driver's seat, Bumblebee's holoform greeted her, smiling happily. "Hey Lilly," he said, driving away from the hotel and turning onto a main road. "How did you sleep?" he asked, looking towards her.

"Fine," she replied, but then remembered about her dream. "But, I had another nightmare," she said, and Bumblebee sighed.

Ever since the Battle of Mission City, Lilly was haunted by nightmares. Bumblebee would always awaken from recharge when he heard her screaming and would instantly send his holoform to her room, holding her as she cried from fear. It angered him how he couldn't control them, that he couldn't stop them from terrifying the human he cared most about.

"I'm sorry, Lilly. Do you want to talk about it?" he asked hesitantly, knowing she normally didn't enjoy sharing what her nightmares were about with him.

"Actually, this one was different from the rest, it wasn't like what my usual nightmares are. I… I don't know where I was, but I saw a building catch on fire. Then, nearby I saw a Decepticon attacking innocent people, and I begged him to stop hurting them. Then, he angrily began to walk towards me, but you popped out of nowhere and attacked him. Then…" Lilly trailed off, tears beginning to form around her blue eyes.

Bumblebee noticed the tears and placed his hand on top of hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. She gave him a weak smile and continued. "You were killed by him. Stabbed right in your spark. I screamed and ran over to your body, but you were already dead," Lilly gulped, tears falling down her cheeks. "I was so scared," she said, looking at Bumblebee, "and the Decepticon fired his gun at me, and that was when I woke up."

Bumblebee gave her a sad smile and squeezed her hand even tighter. "Your nightmares are usually about losing me, aren't they?" he said softly. She nodded, wiping the tears off of her cheeks.

"But, this nightmare was strange. I normally have them about events that had already happened, you know, in the past," she whispered and looked curiously at her Guardian. "In this nightmare, I had no idea where I was."

Bumblebee didn't answer for a minute, thinking quietly to himself. "Maybe… Maybe this could be telling you something? Like a vision?" he said, watching the road as he merged onto a highway.

"That's what I was thinking. Hinting me about the future, like warning me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bumblebee nodded. "It could be possible. If you have another one, call me right away. This could be telling us something," he said, still deep in thought.

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The two were silent for the remainder of the two hour drive, probably thinking about what Lilly had said about her nightmare. Lilly dozed off for half an hour, but was woken up when Bumblebee gently nudged her, excitedly saying, "We're here!"

She looked out the window of the Camaro and gasped at how beautiful the college campus was. She had visited it on a college tour the year before, but had forgotten how incredible the old, brick buildings had looked. They passed a huge library, and Lilly muttered "Wow!" under her breath. Bumblebee pulled up to a visitor parking lot, close to where her dorm was.

Hundreds of college students were walking around the campus, the majority of them carrying boxes or bags and heading towards the dorm rooms. There were many parents as well, helping their children move their belongings to where they would be staying for their freshmen year of college. Lilly got out of the car and Bumblebee sent his holoform out, heading towards the trunk to help Lilly carry her belongings.

Both grabbing a few boxes, Bumblebee asked, "Do you know what dorm you're in?" Lilly nodded, heading towards a giant building to their right. They continued up a few flights of stairs and walked along the outdoor hallway that led to her dorm room, passing students on their way.

"Here we go," Lilly said, stopping at a door that had the names "Elizabeth Roth" and "Victoria Martin" on it. She opened the door, and stepped inside, a blast of air conditioning hitting her face. A girl in the corner turned around from hanging a picture frame and squealed.

"Are you Elizabeth?" she asked, hurrying over to shake Lilly's hand. Her bright green eyes stared intently at Lilly's dark blue ones.

"Yep, but I prefer to be called Lilly," she said, shaking the girl's hand happily. "And you must be Victoria?"

The girl nodded, backing away to give Lilly some room to make her way inside the dorm. "That I am! But, you can call me Tori for short. I kind of already took the bed on the left," Tori motioned to the bed against the wall that had colorful purple sheets on it.

"That's all right," Lilly said, as she smiled and walked over to the sheetless bed on the right and placed down the heavy boxes. Bumblebee followed her, doing the same, and that's when Tori finally saw him.

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes moved back and forth between Lilly and Bumblebee. Lilly looked at Bumblebee, noticing he was wearing a black muscle tee and rolled her eyes. _Why did he have to wear that shirt today, for crying out loud!_ she thought to herself, shaking her head. His sculpted muscles were easily shown, which always make the girls go crazy, _especially_ college ones. The dark wash jeans and black combat boots completed his outfit and, with his wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes, he almost looked like a model. Lilly sighed to herself, silently cursing the Autobots for always having attractive holoforms.

"Lilly?" Tori said, and Lilly turned to face her, raising an eyebrow in question. "Is… is that your _boyfriend_?" she asked pointing to Bumblebee, and Lilly's face instantly turned red.

"No, he's not my boyfriend," she squeaked, her face getting even hotter. "He's just my friend, _not_ my boyfriend." Bumblebee laughed, seeing how flustered Lilly was, and cleared his throat.

"It's nice to meet you, Tori," he said, extending his hand to Lilly's roommate. She gladly took it, blush forming over her cheeks.

"It's nice to meet you as well, er… What's your name?" she asked the boy, still unable to take her eyes off of him.

"The name's Bumblebee," he replied, and a look of confusion fell across Tori's face.

"Bumblebee?" she repeated, and he nodded. "I'm sorry, but is that your real name?"

"Um… Yeah, it is," he answered, and Tori began to laugh. He looked at her, confused.

"Well, _Bumblebee_ , that's a really cool name. I like it!" she said cheerfully, and the boy smiled at her.

He turned towards Lilly, who's face was still slightly red.

"Come on, let's get more boxes," he said and began to walk out of the dorm, Lilly trailing behind him. But, before she could leave the room, Tori grabbed her arm, pulling her to the side.

"You guys should totally get together," she whispered, and grinned at Lilly. "You would be the cutest couple I have ever seen!"

Lilly rolled her eyes, chuckling sarcastically. "You wish," she replied, and began to head towards the door.

"You'll see!" Tori said, laughing at Lilly's reaction. "I know it will happen, I just know it!"

"See you soon, Tori," she said, waving at her roommate as she walked into the hallway. Bumblebee was already at the stairs, waiting for her patiently, and she jogged towards him.

After a few back and forth trips between the car and the dorm, Lilly's belongings were finally all in her room. Bumblebee had started to help Lilly unpack, but soon received a call from Optimus, his leader asking him to leave the college shortly.

Lilly and Bumblebee slowly made their way down to Bee's alt form in the parking lot. They stopped next to the Camaro and turned to face each other.

"Well, I guess this is it," Lilly said sadly. "I won't be seeing you for a while." To Lilly's surprise, Bumblebee pulled her into his arms, wrapping them tightly but gently around her. She wrapped her own around his neck, leaning her head against his chest, feeling tears form around her eyes for the second time that day.

"It'll be okay, Lilly. Tori seems like a really nice girl, and I think you two will get along fine," he said softly, bringing the girl closer to him.

Lilly nodded and sighed, "But she isn't _you_. She can't replace you, Bee. No one can." She breathed in the holoform's scent, a mixture of cologne, metal, and a hint of gasoline that always made her relaxed.

"Lilly, you're one of the strongest girls I know. I mean, you killed Megatron," he said, smiling at the thought. "I think you can handle being away from me for a few months, right?"

She backed up a little, so they could make eye contact. "Right," she said, a small smile forming on her lips. "I will miss our late night movies, though," she laughed and he shook his head, chuckling as well.

"But, if anything happens, you _need_ to call me or NEST _right_ away," he said, a stern looking appearing on his face. "The Decepticons know who you are and they won't be afraid to kill you if they find you. Getting rid of a person who knows a lot about the Autobots will be a bonus for them," he almost growled, talking quietly so no one else but Lilly could hear him.

"I know Bee, let's just hope that doesn't happen, I..." She paused as Bumblebee leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. Lilly's body froze as his warm lips grazed her skin, sending shivers down her spine. He backed away, grinning at her as she began to blush like crazy.

"So, what were you saying?" he teased, chuckling as she remained there frozen, her deep blue eyes staring at his bright blue ones. Blush continued to form on her cheeks as she replayed the scene that had just happened. _Bumblebee just kissed me!_ she yelled in her head, A _lthough it was only on my forehead, but still... Does… Does he like me?_ Her face turned even redder at the thought, wondering if her Guardian had feelings for her. She knew she did, but she was too scared to tell him.

"You're blushing," Bumblebee said, pointing out the obvious. Lilly rolled her eyes at his statement, but her lips curled to form smile.

"Yeah, because you just kissed my forehead without a warning!" she retaliated.

"So, you didn't enjoy it?" he asked, frowning.

"N-no," she stuttered, "I was just surprised."

Bumblebee grinned at her and Lilly smiled back, wondering if Tori was right. Would they make a good couple? For heaven's sake, she was a human and he was an alien robot! How could that work out?

"I've got to get going, you stay safe," he said, poking her in the ribs playfully. She giggled, backing up so he could open the drivers door. He climbed in, shutting the door as Lilly gave him a happy smile.

"Goodbye!" she said, waving as the yellow Camaro she grew to love backed out of the parking spot. He beeped his horn at her and drove away, catching the attention of many people around him as they pointed and whispered amongst themselves.

She headed back towards the dorm room, already missing the company of her Guardian. _I better get used to it_ , she said to herself, pushing Bumblebee to the back of her mind.

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 **Oooooooo! Now we know both Lilly and Bee have feelings for each other, but are too afraid to say so! Hm...**

 **Review, my friends!**

 **\- SapphireSpark**

 **Credit to the song "Gone, Gone, Gone" for the title, by Phillip Phillips**


	8. Megatron's Return

**This chapter doesn't have Lilly's point of view in it, but we do get to find out what the Decepticon's are up to! And, Bumblebee gets bad news... Uh oh!**

 **Thank you for all of the lovely reviews, you all are amazing. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 7: Megatron's Return**

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Bumblebee silently continued down the long highway, going twenty miles over the speed limit as he hurried towards the base where Optimus was waiting for him. Luckily, Lilly's college was only an hour and a half away from the NEST base in Washington DC, which made Bumblebee slightly less nervous about Decepticons attacking her.

He had been driving for a hour and the silence was already tugging at his spark. He missed Lilly greatly, but knew college was the best thing for her, and believed she deserved a break from all of the NEST drama in her life.

Something worried the young mech. Lilly's dream that she had the previous night was no ordinary dream, and he had a strong feeling it meant something bad was coming. Not just a few Decepticon encounters, but something worse than they could ever imagine. He could just _feel_ it.

It wasn't until he was fifteen minutes away from the base when he received a comm link from Optimus.

:Bumblebee, this is Optimus. Can you hear me?:

:I can hear you, Prime. What is it? I'm almost at the base:

There was no response for a few seconds and Bumblebee figured the leader was preoccupied. Instead, he heard a sigh through the comm link.

:Bumblebee, I have some bad news:

The young mech gulped, listening to his smooth tires run down the road and the sound of his engine rumbling with worry.

:Bad news? What do you mean, bad news? Is Lilly alright!?:

:Yes, Lilly is fine, this doesn't have to do with her. Not now, anyways:

The yellow mech was confused. _Not now, anyways?_ What did Optimus mean by that? The leader's voice returned through the comm link, not yet finished with what he was saying.

:Bumblebee, the Allspark shard has been stolen. The Decepticons used it to revive Megatron, I'm afraid to say:

Bumblebee almost slammed on his breaks in shock. " _What!?"_ he practically yelled.

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Starscream began to grow impatient, the waiting making him feel like was suffering. It had been two weeks Earth's time since he ordered Firewarp, a Decepticon Seeker, to inform Soundwave time was short in that he must hurry to steal the Allspark shard from the Autobots.

He growled to himself and mumbled, "If that slaggin' Firewarp doesn't get his sorry aft here soon, he'll be in for it this time!"

Just as he had wished, he heard the familiar sound of a fighter jet as he turned around, watching as a red and orange Decepticon landed with a loud thud in front of him. Firewarp made contact with Starscream's burning red optics and backed up nervously as the leader of the Seekers snarled at him.

"You, why did you take so long?" Starscream snapped, shoving Firewarp aggressively. The smaller Decepticon collapsed to the ground, feeling helpless as Starscream began to load his cannon.

"Starscream!" he cried, putting his arms across his chest plates protectively, fear in his bright red optics. "The m-m-mission was a success! The journey back took a while, but we successfully extracted the Allspark shard from it's place where the Autobots were hiding it!" he said, slowly standing up.

Starscream smirked, transforming his hand back from where the glowing cannon had been only moments ago. "That is great to hear," he said, "But where is Lord Megatron?!" Noticing the anger in his voice, Firewarp backed up.

"Master," he began, but a deep, threatening voice appeared from the silence around them.

"Who are you calling 'Master'?" The two Decepticons both glanced in the direction the sound came from, only to find Megatron emerging from the darkness.

"L-lord Megatron," Starscream stammered, fear making his spark beat nervously in his chassis. Instead of letting him continue, Megatron walked over, slamming Starscream to the ground.

"Do _not_ tell me he was calling you 'Master'," he growled, putting his weight more directly onto Starscream, cracks beginning to form in the Seeker's metal armor. "You have not taken my place, assuming I would never come back, have you Starscream?"

Starscream began to plead, "Master, let me explain, I beg you!" Megatron glared at him, but let the Seeker continue. "I was the one who ordered them to revive you! It was my plan! I only took on a roll as the leader because without one, the Decepticons would fall apart!" he cried, closing his optics, preparing to be injured from Megatron's retaliation. Instead, he felt Megatron's body weight lifting off of him and opened his optics, watching the giant leader as he stood up.

"You are lucky you are my second-in-command, otherwise I would have offlined you within seconds," Megatron said, his red optics trained on Starscream's own.

"Lord Megatron," Firewarp piped in, wincing as Megatron moved his glare onto the small Seeker. "Barricade has found a lead on Earth on what appears to be a substance which contains dark energy," he said, "We believe it is located in Arizona, a state that is part of America."

Megatron was silent for a few moments, and then asked, "What do you mean, _dark_ energy, Firewarp?"

Firewarp smirked, an evil smile crossing his faceplates. "We believe it is the Orb of Darkness. It had disappeared off of Cybertron long before the war on our planet ended, but it seems we have finally found it."

Megatron looked from Starscream to Firewarp, slowly nodding. "I want all Decepticons looking for that orb. If we obtain it, it will give us a power strong enough to defeat the Autobots once and for all," he said, giving an evil look at the two Decepticons before him. "Earth will soon be ours to control, and we can put those disgusting fleshies to use," he added.

Starscream and Firewarp, both nodded, shifting on their pedes excitedly. "Lord Megatron," Starscream began, and Megatron raised an optic ridge at his comrade. "We have a temporary base in Colorado. Shall we meet with other Decepticons there?" Megatron nodded in agreement.

The Decepticon leader sent a message through the comm links to all Decepticons, " _It is time to mobilize. Meet at this rendezvous point in Colorado_." He sent the coordinates to all of his comrades and turned back to look at the two Seekers in front of him. Megatron transformed, Starscream and Firewarp doing the same, and the three took off into space, heading towards the planet that the human race calls home.

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 ***One Week Later***

The familiar planet of Earth came into their view as Megatron, Starscream, and Firewarp soared through the darkness of space. A comm link opened to Megatron, Barricade wishing to speak with him. The leader of the Decepticons vented, wondering what he wanted.

: _What is it, Barricade?:_ Megatron snapped.

: _Megatron, sir, Soundwave has tracked the femme who is with the Autobots:_

The leader growled.

: _You mean the disgusting, pathetic earthling that offlined me with the AllSpark?:_

: _Yes, Lord Megatron. He says she is in Baltimore, Maryland, and she just began college a week ago._

Not knowing what "college" was, Megatron quickly searched the web, and grew even angrier when he was finished.

: _Send Decepticons to go retrieve the girl. Do not kill her, I wish do that myself… I want to slowly rip the flesh off her body, and cause her pain that she has never felt before! After what she did to me, she cannot be forgiven, that wretched weakling!:_

Barricade responded a few seconds later.

: _As you wish, Lord Megatron. I will send Decepticons right now. But… What about the Autobots?:_

Megatron snarled.

: _The Autobots will simply get what they deserve. The death of this human femme will prove that we are still a threat, and that they better watch out for the next attack we bring. In time… You'll see. This mission better be a success, Barricade. Or else…:_

Barricade could already guess what he meant by "Or else", and nervously responded.

: _It will be my Lord, do not worry. That human will be in your hands soon:_

Megatron nodded to himself and pumped more energon into his systems, flying even faster. Starscream and Firewarp did so as well, the trained Seekers easily catching up.

: _Good. Megatron out_ : He closed the comm link, feeling satisfied.

"When we get to Earth, we will get a little revenge," Megatron growled. Starscream and Firewarp began to laugh, excited to see exactly what that revenge would be.

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 **Even though this is a short chapter, we find out quite a lot of important information!**

 **Please leave a review, my friends. They are very appreciated!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	9. Sound the Alarm

**This chapter you guys will finally get some action! Thanks for patiently waiting.**

 **Thank you so much to all who reviewed! Here are my responses:**

 **Transformermionkittycat: I know right? Maybe they will get together ;) And having Megatron on the lose with them separated is bad news... You'll find out more in this chapter xD**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: Maybe there will be a relationship, maybe there won't! ;) It definitely does get more interesting with the shard stolen, especially in this chapter!**

 **Answerthecall: You are right, things indeed _are_ about to get good! And thank you very much, glad you are liking enjoying the story so far :)**

 **Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 8: Sound the Alarm**

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Lennox sighed, running his hand through his short, brown hair. "Are we picking up Megatron's signal anywhere?" he asked, pacing on the catwalk in the Autobot hangar.

A man typing away furiously on a computer looked up and quickly replied, "No, sir. We are not tracking his signal anywhere on Earth right now." Lennox furrowed his brows, staring at the floor.

He was about to speak when a loud sound made it's way through the hangar and he looked up to see Bumblebee speeding towards the catwalk, his tires sliding on the concrete floor as he made a turn.

Transforming quickly, the yellow mech walked up to where Lennox was.

"Major Lennox," he quickly said, and the man nodded.

"Bumblebee, I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?"

"Enough of that, Lennox. Where is Optimus?" he said sternly and everyone turned to face Bumblebee, taking their eyes off of their computer screens.

Detecting the anger and impatience in his voice, Lennox tried to calm the eager Autobot in front of him. "Easy, Bee," he said, putting his hands up. Bumblebee raised an optic ridge, watching as Lennox began to treat him like he was a sparkling. It was quite amusing to watch, and he chuckled to himself.

"Bumblebee," a deep voice appeared out of nowhere and the yellow mech turned around to face Optimus as he was approaching.

"Sir," Bumblebee began, walking towards his leader. " _Please_ let me know what's going on with Megatron!"

Optimus shuttered his optics and vented, equivalent to a human sigh. "Bumblebee, there is much for you to learn. So many things have been going on for these past few days, I do not know where to begin." His deep, baritone voice made everyone near him fall instantly silent.

Lennox began to speak, and Bumblebee turned around to face him, curiosity in his glowing optics. "The shard was stolen by Ravage and Reedman, sent to Earth by Soundwave. We were unable to stop them in time, so they escaped, and–"

"Woah, woah, woah, stop there," Bumblebee muttered, confused. "How did the Decepticons know where the shard was hidden?" Lennox sighed, rolling his eyes.

"You see, our friend, Director Galloway, decided to give away the exact location of the shard, _and_ where Megatron's remains were hidden on camera. We figured that Soundwave hacked into a military satellite and heard Galloway say that, so the Decepticons instantly found out where their two most needed things were hidden," he cursed the man's name under his breath.

Lennox looked at Bumblebee and continued. "Not long before that, we received a warning of Decepticons moving towards Megatron's remains at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyss. They were able to revive him and sadly, they escaped. At the moment, we do not know where Megatron is," he shook his head.

Sideswipe wheeled into the room, stopping near Bumblebee and Optimus. His faceplates formed into a snarl as he retracted his swords into his arms.

"I have an idea of where they are," he growled, everyone shifting their attention towards the silver mech.

"And what may that be?" Optimus questioned him, and Sideswipe turned his body to face the leader.

"He's in outer space, I tracked his signal as I was out patrolling a few hours away from here. I'm not sure why he went there, but I'm positive this wasn't his last time on planet Earth," the silver mech said, narrowing his optics.

Optimus opened his mouth to respond when Ratchet's grumpy voice rang through the hangar.

"You're finally here, Bumblebee," the Autobot medic grunted, walking towards the group of his comrades.

Bumblebee began to back up, almost running into the catwalk. He knew why Ratchet was so eager to see him and he would do anything to avoid it.

"I need you to come with me, Bumblebee. Time for a systems check," Ratchet came to a stop next to Optimus, holding a wrench threateningly.

The young mech vented, slowly walking towards Ratchet in defeat. He slammed his stabilizing servo on the ground as if he was pouting, and Optimus gave him a warning.

"Bumblebee, that is not how you act," he said sternly, forming his lip plates into a frown.

The youngling didn't respond, rather he walked headed towards the Med Bay, his door wings dropping in protest.

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 ***One Week Later***

Bumblebee winced as he felt a sharp pinch on his leg. Ratchet was busy repairing some damaged wires on the young scout, and Bumblebee was sick and tired of waiting for him to finish.

"Ratchet?" he asked and the medic looked up from his work on Bumblebee's leg and grunted.

"What is it, Bumblebee?"

"What do you think will happen when Megatron returns to Earth?" the young bot asked.

Ratchet was surprised at Bumblebee's question. "Well," he began, continuing working on repairing Bumblebee's leg. "We have been tracking the majority of the Decepticon attacks that have occurred on Earth. Many of them seem to be in the western part of the United States, particularly in Arizona."

Bumblebee looked at the medical officer, feeling confused. "What would they want that's in Arizona?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Ratchet sighed. "We don't know, Bumblebee. What we do know is that they are looking for something, and it must be important if so many Decepticons are in the area," he said, shaking his helm.

Bumblebee lied back on the berth, staring at the ceiling with boredom. He almost dozed off into recharge when a blaring siren sounded and he shot up, his processors whirring anxiously. Ratchet finished sealing off the final wire and looked at Bumblebee, grumbling to himself.

"Probably some false Decepticon attack," the older bot said and began to make his way towards the door. Bumblebee hopped off the berth and ran down the large hallway with Ratchet, only to find the hangar in a _complete_ disaster. Soldiers were running everywhere, hopping into military vehicles and loading their guns. Autobots were moving every which way, some in their alt forms, others in their true forms. Bumblebee and Ratchet dodged trucks and soldiers as they ran to the catwalk, to find Optimus Prime staring intently at a computer screen.

"Prime, what is going on?" Ratchet asked, slowing as he approached the leader. Optimus turned to the medical officer and a look of what appeared to be concern and worry was across his faceplates.

"We have received energon signatures from three Decepticons moving towards Baltimore, Maryland. We are sending a team of Autobots and NEST soldiers to track them down and stop them before they cause any chaos," he grumbled, and Bumblebee felt his energon turn cold at hearing the name of the city. _Baltimore?_

"That's where Lilly's college is!" the yellow bot cried, his spark hammering in his chest. Bumblebee's processor whirred as he tried to calm down, a million thoughts distracting him from what was going on at the very moment.

Lennox ran up the catwalk, strapping a gun around his chest. "Optimus, we need to get going _now_!" he yelled. "Lilly is in the city, and must evacuate her immediately!" the Major said as he headed for the stairs.

Optimus nodded, looking at Bumblebee and Ratchet. "Bumblebee, you're coming with us. Ratchet, stay here in case we have injuries or possible casualties." The medical officer nodded, running back towards the direction of the Med Bay.

He looked around the hangar to find the other Autobots gathering around him. "Ironhide, Sideswipe, and Jolt, you will be coming on this mission. The rest of you stay here on alert in case we need backup."

The Autobots called for the mission nodded, transforming and heading towards the exit of the hangar. Groups of military vehicles were already turning onto the main road, speeding in the direction of Baltimore.

Bumblebee quickly transformed, following the Autobots on his team out of the giant hangar door. Once he reached the open road, he sped up to the soldiers down the road, driving as fast as he could. It was his duty to protect Lilly as her Guardian, and the fact that he wasn't even close to her worried him greatly. They weren't 100% sure that the Cons were trying to find Lilly, but since they were near Baltimore, it probably had something to do with the young girl. _I'm coming for you Lilly,_ he said to himself, _just hang in there_.

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 **Will Bumblebee be able to get to Lilly in time? Read the next chapter to find out!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	10. Burn It Down

**Phew! This chapter is JAM PACKED with action! Ah, I just love writing battle scenes, they are so much fun xD**

 **I hope you guys like this chapter, it finally kicks off our story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 9: Burn It Down**

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"Hey, wake up," a soft voice said. Lilly slowly opened her eyes, wondering momentarily where she was. She looked over to see who was touching her, and her eyes fell upon her roommate, Tori.

"Hmmmm?" she mumbled sleepily, and Tori sighed, placing a hand on her hip.

"Lilly, it's 11:00 at night. You fell asleep at your desk, _again_ ," she said sarcastically, giving an annoyed look to the girl in front of her.

Confused, Lilly lifted her head to see the hard surface of her desk staring back at her. She groaned and wiped the drool from where her head was placed, chuckling to herself. Tori coughed, and Lilly turned around, grinning sheepishly at her friend. Tori, on the other hand, didn't look amused at all.

"Lilly," she began, a look of concern falling across her face. "Why do you keep falling asleep at your desk? This is the third time it's happened, and school only started a week ago."

Lilly looked around, trying to come up with an excuse. She finally gave in, making eye contact with Tori. "I'm not exactly good with time management. Look… School is stressing me out, and it's only been a week!" she frustratedly yelled, standing up suddenly. Tears threatened to come, but she hurried to prevent them from making an appearance.

Tori looked worriedly to her friend and quickly pulled her into a hug. Lilly, surprised at this, wrapped her arms tightly around Tori, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"I understand you, Lilly," she quietly said, "School isn't an easy thing." She pulled away from the hug, smiling sadly at the girl in front of her. "But, it's Friday night, so you can sleep in tomorrow. Maybe on Sunday we can go shopping?" she asked, winking.

Lilly's face brightened at the suggestion. "Sounds like a good plan to me," she said, smiling at Tori.

"Let's get some sleep, though." She motioned to their beds, and Tori nodded, agreeing with her.

As the two climbed into their beds, the darkness quietly settled over them, and Lilly's thoughts began to drift. _I wonder what Bee is doing right now? Maybe he's on a mission, or on patrol, or just chilling at the base?_ she asked herself, closing her eyes. She dearly missed Bumblebee's voice and his glowing, soft blue eyes made her smile. She could almost hear him transforming… Wait a minute.

Lilly's eyes shot open and she listened more closely. She heard the sound of parts shifting and metal scarping, a sharp click, and then silence. Her heart began to pick up its pace as she heard the sound of a transformation one more time, gulping in fear.

She shot out of bed, and ran to the window, her feet making loud thuds on the wooden floor.

"Lilly, what are you doing?" Tori asked, obviously annoyed at her roommate. Lily shushed her, and Tori rolled her eyes, grumbling, and lied back down onto her pillow.

Lilly slowly opened the curtains, peeking through the shades. To her horror, she watched as three black Cybertronians stood in a triangle, talking to each other in their native language. She couldn't see if they were Autobot or Decepticon, for they were hunched together, almost like a group huddle.

"None of them look familiar," she whispered under her breath, biting her lip nervously.

Her heart almost stopped as one looked up, and she caught a glimpse of dark, crimson red optics, sending a chill down her spine. "Oh my God," she muttered under her breath, backing away from the window. _What the hell are they doing here?_ she screamed in her head, slipping her sneakers on.

She turned to find Tori propping herself on an elbow, her eyebrows raised in confusion. "Tori, we need to get going. Get your shoes on, hurry!" she yelled at her roommate, and Tori opened to her mouth to object when all of a sudden the floor shook.

Lilly fell, catching herself as the floor continued to shake. "What's going on!?" she heard Tori cry, the ground finally stopping shaking.

"I'll answer your questions later," Lilly said, pulling her friend out of her bed. "Come on!" She grabbed Tori's hand and ran for the door, throwing it open as she headed into the hall.

The sound of a nearby explosion made the two girls scream and it rocked the ground, both of them stumbling and falling onto each other. People opened the doors to their dorms and peered into the hallway, panic and confusion across most of their faces.

"Run!" Lilly yelled, getting back up and pulling Tori up with her in the process. "There are freakin' alien robots coming! _Run_!" A bright light flashed by them very quickly and the sound of another explosion shook the ground yet again. Screams filled Lilly's ears as people began to run by her, and she turned around to find the three Decepticons moving towards her dorm building, shooting at the giant structure. She tightened her grip around Tori's hand and sprinted towards the stairwell, her heart hammering in her chest.

Lilly heard more explosions as she flew down the stairwells, Tori right on her heel. They squeezed past students, finally reaching the ground level. Running outside, Lilly stopped, shock overcoming her.

There were already students _everywhere_. The smell of smoke filled the air and several dorm buildings were on fire, people crying for help that were trapped inside their structures. Screams were the only sounds she heard, except for the occasional _BOOM!_ of an explosion. People were running in every direction, some running into each other, others shoving smaller students out of their way.

Tori stood beside her, trying to catch her breath. "L-L-Lilly, what's g-going on?" she whimpered, complete fear in her normally bright green eyes.

Before Lilly could respond, they both dove to the ground as something hot flew over their heads, crashing into a building nearby and sending it into flames. _Oh no_ , Lilly thought, shakily pulling herself onto her feet, _this is just like my nightmare_! She glanced at Tori who was still on the ground, shaking, dirt covering her face. Lilly helped her up and began to sprint in the direction most people were heading: away from the approaching Decepticons. Dodging fireballs as they were shot at the screaming students, she made her way behind a building that had been evacuated, panting. Tori huddled beside her, sweat dripping off her face.

"Listen to me, Tori," she said, catching the attention of her friend. "You need to _run_. Never hide, never stop, just _run_ , you hear me? These robots are after me, they're here because of me!" she yelled, angrily pointing to herself.

"Lilly, what do you mean?" Tori said, trying to catch her breath.

"I can't tell you now. But those robots, they are trying to find _me._ Listen, you need to keep running. If you see more robots that have _blue_ eyes, don't panic, they're the good ones! I need to get out of here and distract them before they kill more people!" she practically screamed, standing up and shaking her head. "Get out of here, now, Tori. I don't want them to hurt you!" Lilly said, pulling the terrified girl up and pushing her in front of herself.

"No, Lilly, I can't leave you!" Tori shrieked, digging her feet into the ground to stop Lilly from pushing her.

"You have to, Tori! They will kill you!" Lilly retaliated and before Tori could reply, she sprinted away.

"Lilly, no!" Tori screamed, but Lilly's words appeared into her head. _You need to run_. Clenching her fists, she took off in the direction opposite of where Lilly headed, joining the crowd of people running away from the oncoming Decepticons. She shrieked as more robots appeared in the direction she was fleeing, zooming past the frightened students as they headed towards the robots attacking them. She caught a glimpse of a huge, black one as it ran by and saw blue eyes instead of the evil red ones. "The good guys," she muttered under their breath, and continued to run.

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Lilly gasped for air as she sprinted towards one of the Decepticons, who was walking around a building, looking for any living humans. "Stop it!" she shrieked, and the Decepticon's blood red optics made contact with her light blue eyes.

It's faceplates formed into an evil grin and it began to load the cannon on its arm. "It looks like we have found the femme that Megatron wants," it growled, and began to slowly approach Lilly.

"What?" Lilly whimpered, backing up and putting her hands in the air. She looked to her left as she heard gunshots, and watched as she saw a familiar robot tackle one of the Decepticons. "Ironhide!" she cried, but he was too busy battling to hear the small girl yell his name. _Think, Lilly, think!_ she yelled in her head to herself, still backing away as the Decepticon walked towards her. _I bet if I run towards Ironhide he will notice me, and maybe he will take down this Con before it hurts any more people_ , she thought.

Lilly knew in her heart the plan wouldn't work, but it was her only shot. She quickly turned on her heels and took off towards Ironhide and the Decepticon he was fighting with, holding onto what little hope she had.

Instead, she only got ten feet before something squeezed her and she gave an ear piercing scream as metal claws jabbed into her sides. Her feet lifted off the ground and she looked in horror as the Decepticon turned her to face him.

"Think you can run away from me, Earth scum?" he asked, letting out an evil laugh. He tightened his grip on her and she felt his metallic claws break through her skin, sinking deep into the fleshy sides.

Seeing the pain on her face, the Decepticon began to squeeze even harder. Lilly's airways were blocked and she gasped for air, feeling her throat tighten around her. Tears spilled out of her eyes and she couldn't make any sounds except whimper helplessly.

The Decepticon laughed and released his grip on her, the girl collapsing onto the palm of his large servo. Lilly gasped for air, enjoying the moment as the sweet oxygen filled her lungs once again. She weakly looked up as she saw Ironhide in the distance battling the Decepticon, but he was simply too far away for her to call for help. Lilly felt completely hopeless and wondered if she was going to ever see her family again.

All of a sudden, her captor began to transform and she shrieked as she soon was trapped inside of the Decepticon's alt mode. She fumbled for the lock on the door, but to no surprise she couldn't open it. Fear overcoming her, Lilly began to kick at the dashboard, putting all her strength into her legs.

A holoform appeared in the driver's seat, and he glared at Lilly, slapping her in the face. "Stop being such a slaggin' idiot," he growled as she fell back, pain exploding onto the left side of her face. She felt the seat belt lock around her, preventing Lilly from moving her chest even a slight inch off of the seat.

Lilly watched in fear as the holoform pulled a needle from a bag in the backseat, the tip of it gleaming from a nearby streetlamp. He laughed menacingly at the terrified girl, his eyes glowing red as he brought the needle towards her arm.

Knowing what he was planning to do, Lilly began to struggle against the restraining seat belt. The tip merely inches away from her arm, she squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling in fear. The brunette felt a sharp pinch in her arm as her vision began to blur, and within seconds her unconscious body slumped against the window.

The Decepticon laughed, his holoform leaving behind red sparks as it disappeared. He revved the engine, shooting towards the road away from the chaos he and his comrades had caused.

He sent a comm link to Megatron, grinning to himself.

:Sir, this was too easy. Mission success, I have the girl:

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 **Oh no, Lilly is kidnapped? Will she be rescued, or will she be killed at the hands of the Decepticons? Read more to find out.**

 **I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter :)**

 **– SapphireSpark**

 **Credit to the song "Burn It Down" for the title, by Linkin Park**


	11. Lost

**This chapter is very important! We begin to shift to Tori's perspective for the time being, she will be a very important character in this story. The next chapter we will see what's up with Lilly, and where she is!** **The paragraphs are longer than usual, because there are fewer conversations and more details put into this chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Thank you to all who reviewed. You both made me smile, and helped me with my writing!**

 **Answerthecall: I know right, it certainly was pretty intense! And thank you for reminding me, I forgot to explain why they were in DC all of a sudden!**

 **Transformerminionkittycat: Haha, Ironhide should have heard Lilly, but he was way too distracted by the fighting! Glad you are excited for this one, here ya go! :) Very happy to see you are enjoying it so far.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 10: Lost**

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The NEST soldiers and the Autobots had tracked the Decepticon's signals to Lilly's college, knowing knew just what they were after: Lilly.

They had quickly arrived to the large campus and the Autobots transformed, immediately beginning to search for the girl while Ironhide and Sideswipe took down the Decepticons. The soldiers formed a line of defense to protect the thousands of frightened college students and within minutes two out of three of the Decepticons were killed. The third one had disappeared, no signal to be found or tracked, which deeply worried the team of NEST members.

A hundred or so ambulances, police cars, and firetrucks arrived at the scene, called from within the city of Baltimore and surrounding areas. They worked as quickly as they could to calm the horrified students, many of them reluctant to leave where they were huddled on the ground. It was midnight and the NEST soldiers and policemen began evacuating people to the football field for a long needed rest, providing them with blankets, water, and granola bars.

Whether it was putting fires out, clearing away the dead Decepticons, loading injured students onto ambulances, or escorting people to the football field, everyone had a job to. Not wanting to scare the students even more, Optimus, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Sideswipe, and Jolt had parked their alt forms and sent out their holoforms, helping the soldiers assist the students.

A tall man with dark brown hair walked up to Lennox, his 6'3" height towering over many people as he walked by them. He wore a blue shirt with a red jacket, khakis covering his long legs. His frame was strong and muscular and he walked with his shoulders pushed back, standing up tall.

The Major was helping load an injured girl onto a stretcher who had a large, bloody gash on the right side of her face and burns covering her body. She whimpered in pain and he kindly smiled at her, saying, "It's alright, shhh. You'll be fine, you just have a couple of cuts that need to be bandaged up, okay?" She nodded and he watched her disappear as she was loaded onto an ambulance. Lennox sighed, turning around as Optimus called his name.

"Lennox, can you give me a report?" The Major looked at him, sadness in his eyes.

"Optimus, there have been 98 casualties so far. Fifty or so students have already been sent to the hospital, the majority with minor injuries, a few with major ones. We are almost done clearing the Decepticons and most of the students have been evacuated onto the football field. My team is searching for the Decepticon that fled," he said, adjusting the dog tags on his neck.

"Any word on Lilly?" Optimus asked and Lennox shook his head.

"We haven't found her yet. I have some soldiers looking out for her, and most of the Autobots have been alerted as well," he ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head. "I mean, she could be dead right now. The fires haven't all been put out and we are still finding bodies in the destroyed buildings. I have no idea where the poor girl could be."

Optimus's holoform closed his eyes. The leader had never meant for so many people to be brought into their war, let alone countless of them injured or killed by the ruthless Decepticons. He felt utterly horrible when he pictured the families of the students who had been killed finding out that their child had died tonight, all because of what would be claimed "a terrorist attack" by the local news. He could almost hear a mother sobbing, a husband trying to comfort her, and small children asking their parents what was wrong.

Lennox noticed the man in front of him frown at the ground. "Optimus," he said, trying to assure the leader, "this is not your fault. We did the best we could do, let's focus on the present and forget about the past."

The leader nodded, and mumbled, "I know it is bad to dwell on the past, when we should be focusing on the present. But that is not an easy task for me to do," he said, shaking his head. "Almost a hundred young adults lost their lives today because of our war. We must not let it happen again." With that, he walked away, leaving Lennox speechless.

Bumblebee frantically scanned the students walking past him, trying to find any sign of Lilly. So far, his scans had been coming back negative and there had been no word on her whereabouts, let alone if she was even still alive. This terrified him greatly, his spark urging him to look harder, to find any small clue that would help him find his charge.

He began to jog towards the dorms, thinking she might be hiding behind or in a building. The place where she shared a room with Tori had been was completely destroyed and he wondered if they hadn't made it out in time. _No_ , he scolded himself, _Lilly is strong, I know she is out here somewhere_! Bumblebee was passing an untouched dorm building when he heard a soft whimper and backed up a few steps, peering down the dark shadow created by the massive structure.

A girl was sitting against a building, her knees pulled up against her chest. Her long, black hair covered her face and scrapes and bruises littered her arm, her body shaking as she mumbled something to herself. He approached her slowly, his spark aching as he saw how terrified she was.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked softly and she looked up, her emerald green eyes filled with tears. He immediately recognized her to be Lilly's roommate, Tori. She seemed surprised as well, gasping and widening her eyes.

"Bumblebee?" she asked, looking at him, shocked. "What are you doing here?" she sniffed.

"I came here to help the students. Where is Lilly?" he demanded, his spark pounding in his chest as he dreaded the answer. With the mention of her name, tears poured onto Tori's cheeks, and she wiped them off, her arm shaking.

"I don't know… One of the evil robots captured her!" she said, hugging her knees tighter to her chest. Bumblebee's spark froze as he heard the last part of the sentence.

"They captured her?" he asked and she nodded, standing up slowly. Bumblebee growled, clenching his fists tightly. "Ugh! Those slaggin' Cons are gonna have their sorry afts beaten when I find them," he said, beginning to back up. Tori raised her eyebrows at him, not understanding half of what he said.

"Um, what?" she questioned him. He looked at her, anger filling his bright blue eyes.

"I promised her. I _promised_ her she would be safe, that they wouldn't be able to hurt her. I broke the promise, I wasn't able to find and rescue her in time!" he yelled, shaking his head in defeat.

Tori raised her eyebrows in shock from the ferocity of his voice. "Bumblebee, I have no clue what exactly is going on, but one thing I _do_ know is that this is not your fault. Whatever those robots were, you couldn't control them, you're just a human!" she said, trying to get him to understand.

Bumblebee's chest was still heaving with hatred for what the Decepticons had done. He spoke more softly this time, not wanting to scare Tori. "But I can control them, I can kill them! I'm… I'm not a hu–" he was cut off as he spotted Optimus nearby and began to run in his direction.

"Wait, where are you going?" Tori squeaked, following him so she wouldn't be left behind.

"Optimus!" Bumblebee shouted, the tall man turning when he heard his name being called.

"Yes, Bumblebee?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He watched as a girl stopped next to Bumblebee, trying to catch her breath. He looked at her with concern, noticing the injuries littering her arms and legs. "Are you alright?" he motioned to Tori, and she looked at her wounds and winced.

"Yeah… I'm fine. I didn't notice I had so many," she glanced at them again, letting out a deep breath. Optimus noticed the pause in her sentence, but decided not to push her into telling the truth. She obviously did not want to talk about them any further.

Bumblebee looked at Optimus. "This is Lilly's roommate, Tori. Tori, this is my… leader, Optimus. I uh, work in the military," Bumblebee said, introducing the two strangers to each other. "I met her when I brought Lilly to college, and–" he shook his head, scolding himself for getting distracted. "The Decepticons kidnapped Lilly!" he growled.

A frown instantly replaced the small smile that had been on the Optimus's face. Before he could answer, Tori spoke.

"Okay, can someone tell me who the heck are the Decepticons?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at the two men, demanding an answer.

Optimus stood forwards, keeping his blue eyes trained on Tori. Noticing the air of authority from the man, Tori shrunk back, feeling tiny compared to his massive height. She realized his eyes were a lot similar to Bumblebee's: a bright, almost _glowing_ shade of blue. Wondering if they were related, she looked back and forth between the men and came to the conclusion that they weren't, seeing barely any similarities between them.

"Tori," the man spoke, snapping her out of it. "We cannot tell you that information as of now. Although, you may end up discovering it in the future." She slowly nodded and he looked at Bumblebee, concern spreading across his face. "They took her?" he asked his scout.

"She saw it happen," he mumbled, motioning to the girl next to him.

Whatever they were talking about, Tori knew it was important and that it was vital to tell what she had seen to make sure she got her roommate back. She stepped forward, standing up straight, and looked Optimus right in the eye.

"Sir, I watched her get lifted into the air by one of those giant robots. Then, it _transformed_ and turned into a car before taking off with Lilly inside!" she cried, anger building up inside of her.

Optimus nodded, putting his hand up to his chin, furrowing his brows in thought. He had picked up many human gestures over his time on Earth and quite a few of them he used very frequently.

"Major Lennox," he called, turning around as Lennox looked up from helping load another stretcher into an ambulance.

"Yes, Optimus?" Lennox asked, jogging towards the group of three.

"We have discovered that Lilly has been captured by the… enemy," he paused, glancing at Tori. "We must be on the full look out. Contact the soldiers at base and tell them to begin searching the area. Have you tracked any nearby energon signatures?" he asked, and Tori realized how formal he spoke, with the tone of a true leader. _Bumblebee is lucky to have him as a leader,_ she thought and smiled at the new man as he glanced her way.

Lennox shook his head, "Optimus, we can't find any energon signatures. The Decepticon that fled must be cloaking his. But, I will let my team know and alert the base as soon as possible. Perhaps if we track Megatron's signature coming into Earth's atmosphere we can follow him to see where he goes? It may lead up to the enemy base."

Optimus nodded. "That it not a bad idea, Major."

Lennox turned to look at the unfamiliar girl, raising his eyebrow. "Who are you?" he asked, not sternly, but rather curiously.

"I'm Tori," the girl said, giving the Lennox a small smile and extending her hand.

Lennox accepted it, returning the smile. "Major Lennox," he said, and turned back to face Optimus.

Bumblebee spoke up. "She is the one who watched Lilly get kidnapped, and was Lilly's roommate before the attack," he directed his statement towards Lennox.

The major glanced at Tori. "You were the one who saw it happen?" The girl nodded, fiddling with her thumbs nervously. "Should we bring Tori back to the base?" he then asked, turning back to the holoform of Optimus. "We can question her about what had happened to Lilly, to try to get as many details as possible."

Optimus sighed, not wanting to bring a civilian to the base. If he did, she would be put into danger, but it was vital to find all the information they could on Lilly's captor in order to find where the Decepticons had taken the poor girl.

"Yes," he nodded, looking at Tori. "We would like take you back to our military base and answer most of the questions you have. We would also want to question you on what had happened to Lilly. There will be a room provided for you, with all of the items you need, like clothes and toiletries. You may contact your parents, however they cannot come visit you, and we will tell you why later. Bumblebee will be bringing you."

"What?" Bumblebee cried. "I can't bring her, I have to look for Lilly! Do you expect me to do nothing while she is in danger!? They could have killed her already, we need to start searching now!" he snapped, glaring at Optimus.

Lennox and Tori took a step back, surprised at how furious Bumblebee was. Optimus, however, wasn't the slightest bit shocked at how defensive his scout had acted when it came to protecting the girl he cared about most.

"Bumblebee, I know how worried you are about Lilly. We all are. But the sooner we get to our base and figure out a plan, the sooner we can begin to look for her. It is not a good idea to engage the enemy as of now, because we are unprepared. You must get going now," he said strictly, although there was a hint of apology in his voice.

Tori cleared her throat. "Do I have a choice in going or not?" she asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

"You can reject the offer, but you are greatly needed right now. Plus, it wouldn't hurt for Lilly to have a friend at the base _when_ she returns," Lennox said, determined to make sure that the girl returned safely.

Tori sighed, putting a strand of her black hair behind an ear. "Even though I have no idea what's going on, I would do anything to help get Lilly back. And," she said, glancing at the destroyed dorm buildings, "I don't really have a place to stay, so I won't mind. But I do want to know what the heck is happening. _Please_ don't let me in the dark."

Lennox nodded. "We will try to provide you with as much information we can that civilians are allowed to know."

A soldier came running to the group of four. "Optimus, Major Lennox, you are needed right now," he said. The soldier quickly turned back, heading in the direction he had come from.

Optimus looked at Bumblebee. "Please bring her to the base. I will see you two soon," he said before walking away.

Tori was still stunned. The last five minutes had gone by in a total blur, and now she was going to a military base? _What did I get myself into?_ she asked herself, shaking her head.

Bumblebee finally spoke up. "Come on, let's get going," he said, forcing a smile. Tori nodded, following Bumblebee to his car, a beautiful yellow 2009 Chevy Camaro with black stripes.

Her mouth dropped when she saw it and whispered, "This is _your_ car?"

Bumblebee laughed, his mood brightening. "Yep, pretty sweet, isn't it?" She nodded, still shocked at how incredible the muscle car was. He opened the passenger door for her and she slid in, her mouth dropping at simply how _clean_ it was. Closing the door, he walked to the driver's side and got in. Bumblebee started the ignition, glancing at Tori as she gazed in wonder at the interior of the car.

Backing out of the parking spot, he passed by the other Autobot's alt forms, wondering what they were all up to. Tori noticed them to and whistled when they passed by the Peterbilt. "Now _that_ is one nice looking truck," she said, and Bumblebee let out a chuckle at how Tori had had just complimented Optimus without knowing it.

Turning onto a road, he sped 15 miles over the speed limit, eager to get back to base. _The sooner I get there, the sooner we can begin searching for Lilly_ , he thought. Tori shrieked, grabbing onto the sides of her seat.

"Bumblebee, what the hell are you doing?" she said, glaring at him.

He just laughed, revving the engine louder as they flew down the empty road. "Am I going too fast for you?" he teased, knowing this question would get her mad.

"No, you're just driving like a reckless teenager. I don't want to get myself killed," she retorted.

Bumblebee's holoform snorted. "Well, hang on!" he said, flying down the empty road at 70 miles per hour.

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	12. Captured

**Finally, we are able to see Lilly's point of view! I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 11: Captured**

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Lilly fell back into consciousness, opening her eyes to find only darkness surrounding her. The girl panicked, thinking she had somehow gone blind, when she felt the soft fabric of a cloth around her face. Momentarily wondering where she was, Lilly struggled to move her arms, but they were tightly wrapped around each other by some kind of thick rope. She did the same to her feet, only to find them tied together by a rope as well.

 _Great_ , Lilly thought, _I really am kidnapped_. The sound of tires rolling on pavement was the only noise breaking the silence, and it finally occurred to Lilly that she was in a car. She let out a groan, the pain of her upper body making her feel sick. The sides of her body were sore from being squeezed so tightly and she swore she felt a crack in one of her lower ribs. The right side of her upper body had blood dried around it, although Lilly couldn't see the wounds up close that the Decepticon had inflicted upon her from his metallic claws. Her breathing was shallow and shaky, and she wondered if her lungs had been damaged from the brutal strength of her captor.

A deep voice growled from the left side of the cabin and she whimpered as she felt a finger snake up her neck and towards her chin. "Hello, little fleshy. I see you have awoken," the voice said, recognition dawning upon Lilly. Her heart began to pick up it's pace as she remembered that she had been kidnapped by a Decepticon, and that she was currently trapped inside of one. An evil laugh came from the man next to her as the finger was removed from her face, Lilly shivering in the process.

"Your heart rate is picking up, are you afraid of me?" the voice asked, taunting her. She clenched her teeth in anger, keeping her mouth shut.

Lilly remained silent the remainder of the ride and to her surprise the Decepticon did not speak again. It felt like hours, and by the strong light coming through her blindfold she could tell it was around midday. Her thoughts drifted to the previous night and sadness overcame her as she remembered what had happened. She prayed that Tori had made it out safely and that the Autobots were able to stop the remaining Decepticons from causing even more damage than what had already been dealt. She couldn't help but wonder if the Autobots had realized she had disappeared and if they had begun to search for her.

The car came to a sharp halt, snapping her from her thoughts as her seat belt released itself, sending Lilly's body crashing into the dashboard. The car shook as it laughed and Lilly groaned in pain, her head pounding. Fear began to trickle through her mind, wondering how far they were from the college and where exactly they were. The girl shrieked as the inside of the car began to move and within seconds she felt cold metal on her back, guessing the Decepticon had just transformed and was carrying her in his servo.

The sounds of giant footsteps approaching made Lilly's heart begin to beat rapidly as she desperately tried to identify who it was, the blindfold preventing her from seeing anything but little light and a few shadows. The large hand tightened around her, the cold metal making her shake.

"Do you have the girl?" a voice hissed and Lilly immediately recognized it to belong to Starscream, the second-in-command.

Lilly felt herself being raised in the air, the Decepticon showing her off like a prize. She struggled, trying to break free, but he tightened his hold around her, the claws beginning to dig into her sides yet again. She screamed in pain as her sides felt like they were on fire, her eyes watering as both of the Decepticons laughied at her helpless cries.

"Yes, Starscream, she was quite easy to capture," a voice behind Lilly spoke darkly. She felt a sharp claw poke her face and her blindfold was removed in an instant. Squinting at the harsh sunlight, Lilly blinked at her surroundings, the girl's blue eyes drifting beyond the Decepticons.

They were in a thick forest, nothing but trees and large bushes encompassing them. In the distance was an abandoned–looking warehouse and Lilly figured that the massive building was what they were using as a temporary base. Behind her captor was a long, dirt road stretching deep into the forest.

Starscream laughed at Lilly as she looked at their surroundings. "We are fifty miles away from any other disgusting organic being," Starscream smirked, his crimson red optics trained on Lilly. She was briefly confused until it finally registered into her brain that the phrase "disgusting organic being" was referring to a human. Lilly whimpered as the Decepticon holding her moved her close to his face, spitting as he spoke.

"Your little pesky Autobot friends won't be able to find you out here," he snapped, "If you dare try to contact them, we will kill you immediately." Lilly gave a small nod, her small body trembling as the grip still tightly remained on her. The girl's arms and legs were still tied together, the rope beginning to rub into her skin, making Lilly wince every time it made contact with the new wounds on her ankles and wrists.

Starscream began to walk towards the large building, motioning for his comrade to follow. Lilly began to squirm, weakly screaming for help, her voice echoing through the forest. Nothing was returned except for the whisper of the wind against her ears. The girl's heart began racing again as they neared the entrance and she gasped as the door divided in half, opening automatically for the Decepticons. Peering behind at the brightness of the outdoors before they closed, Lilly prayed it wouldn't be the last time she would ever see real sunlight again.

Her captor and Starscream walked side by side, chatting in their native language. Lilly shrunk into the large metal hand holding her whenever they passed a Decepticon through the hall, desperately trying to hide herself as the pairs of red optics glared at her until she disappeared around a corner. They continued down what seemed like an infinity amount of long corridors and hallways until they reached a dim room filled with what appeared to be jail cells. Some were small, the perfect size for a human, and others were large, spacious enough to hold a Cybertronian the size of Optimus.

The Decepticon threw Lilly carelessly like a trash bag into one the smaller cells, the wind knocked out of her as she hit the hard floor. He cut the ropes restraining her arms and legs with the snap of his claws, locking the door behind him as she weakly sat up from her collapsed position on the floor. "Hope you enjoy your stay, we made sure it is _extra_ cold, just for you," he smiled menacingly, slamming the door to the large room.

Darkness fell upon Lilly and she crawled into the corner, bringing her knees to her chest. The cold, damp air seemed to cling to her like wet clothes, and she shook uncontrollably, goosebumps appearing within seconds.

Her stomach growled loudly, reminding the girl that she hadn't eaten for almost 24 hours. Her mouth was parched and Lilly desperately glanced around the cell for food, water, anything to nourish her weak body. She found nothing as expected and shrunk back into the corner.

Fear had always just been a word. Lilly liked to think of herself as brave, fearless, strong. But, she wasn't brave. She wasn't fearless. She wasn't strong. She was simply Lilly. A small, young, 18 year old girl who had saved the world from destruction, even though no one had truly believed her when she told them that. She had looked death once in the eye, and she was doing it yet again, knowing in her heart that her enemy would be the final victor. The one that would take her life away from her. Now, she finally understood why people had told her, "No one is fearless."

Lilly smelled something like iron in the air, instantly recognizing it as the smell of blood. She hesitantly looked down at her wound from the night before and almost fainted at the sight of it.

Dried up clumps of blood stuck to her t-shirt and there were three identical large gashes in her side. A small amount of blood was still oozing out of her wounds, so she took one of her socks and pressed it firmly to her side. If she didn't get this injury treated soon she could get an possible infection. _Infections can be deadly if not handled correctly_ , Lilly thought to herself. To add to the girl's list of problems, her head was throbbing with each heartbeat and Lilly guessed she had at least a minor concussion, if not a major one.

Leaning back, she ran a hand through her knotted light brown hair and froze as she felt something hard in her pocket. Furrowing her brows in confusion, she reached into her back pocket of her pajama shorts and realized her cell phone had been in there the whole time.

Lilly turned it on, hoping that the battery hadn't run out. The screen lit up, buzzing with a few notifications from her mother and father since she forgot to call them the previous night. The threat from the Decepticon loomed into her mind and Lilly looked at the amount of bars she had, noticing that there wasn't any cellular connection to call somebody.

Sliding it back into her pocket, all of her hopes completely vanished for contacting someone to help. She lied her body onto the floor, resting her head on the ice cold concrete. Wrapping her arms gently around her sides, tears slowly began to fall down her face, creating a small puddle underneath her. She bit her lip to stop from crying out from the pain in her lower torso.

"Someone, please help me," she whispered, closing her eyes as she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

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 **Well, now we know Lilly is helplessly trapped in a cage while she is injured. Will the Autobots be able to save her in time?**

 **Read more to find out! ;)**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	13. Welcome to NEST

**I want to thank everyone for your reviews, favorites, and follows. This story wouldn't have gotten this far without your support, you guys mean so much to me! Thank you :)**

 **Before you wonder why we don't go to Lilly's point of view in this chapter, it's because this takes place while she is still unconscious in the Decepticon (it is mid morning, Lilly wakes up in the afternoon).**

 **Sorry about the filler chapter, but I wanted to let you guys know what Tori is up to and also what is happening back at the base! Tori is such a fun character, I hope you guys like her :) I had to divide a chapter into two parts since it was so long, so I decided to make them separate from each other. The original one was WAY too long xD Oops!**

 **Now for my responses for your guy's reviews:**

 **Answerthecall: Thank you! I know, let's hope she gets out of it safely!**

 **Transformerminionkittycat: Decepticons are certainly awful :/ Thank you for patiently waiting, here you go!**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: He is very adorable when worried, you are right! xD**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 12: Welcome to NEST**

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Bumblebee arrived to the NEST base in Washington, DC at two o'clock in the morning, Tori sleeping quietly in his passenger seat. Once he was allowed through the gates, he took a right turn around the large building, pulling up to the hangar in the back.

The soldiers and Autobots at the base had been informed about the upcoming arrival of Tori and had prepared a room for the girl to live in for her stay at the base. Normally, at a time this early in the morning, the majority of the soldiers were in bed, sound asleep, getting their well needed rest. But, because of the attack at the college and the kidnapping of Lilly, many of them were up and about making calls and trying to find any information on the whereabouts of the missing girl.

The Camaro pulled up to a door near the human's sleeping quarters and Bumblebee glanced at the girl in his cabin. Her head rested against the window, breathing softly as she was sound asleep. His holoform gently shook her and Tori sleepily opened her eyes, looking at her surroundings. "Is this the base you were talking about?" she mumbled, and he nodded in confirmation to her question.

"This is where I work," he said. "We will explain everything in the morning, but I think we should get you to bed." She was about to drift back to sleep when he got out and opened her door, startling her awake. Bumblebee extended a hand and she took it, slowly getting out of the car. He led her up a flight of stairs and down a few halls when he saw a soldier walking down the opposite end of the hallway.

"Hey, Epps!" he called, waving at the approaching soldier. The man had dark skin with little hair on his head and a kind face, smiling at the girl as she tiredly stopped next to Bumblebee, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm Robert Epps, you must be Tori?" he asked, and she nodded her head, shaking hands with the man. "I can take her to her room," he said, motioning for her to follow. She looked at Bumblebee and he smiled at her.

"Have a good night, Tori," he said before hurrying off in the direction they had come from moments ago. The girl waved at him, continuing down the hallway.

"You must be tired," Epps said softly as they walked side-by-side.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted," Tori sighed, trying her best not to fall asleep. He saw the scrapes and bruises on her arms and legs, frowning at the sight of them.

"Ratchet will want to check on you tomorrow. He is our doctor here at the base," Epps said, turning down another hallway. Tori was too tired to process what the soldier had just told her and shrugged, apparently not minding.

The two stopped at a door with a gold plaque that was engraved with "24 B" on it. He pulled a silver key out of his pocket, opening the door for Tori and letting her enter first.

"This is where you will be staying. We have provided you with the necessities, although you may request something if you find yourself needing it. Breakfast will be served at the Cafeteria tomorrow morning, there are signs in the hall to help you find where it is," Epps said, motioning to the door. He placed the keys down on a dresser and smiled at the girl.

"Thank you, sir," she said, a small smile forming onto her lips. "Wait a minute… am I going to have to wear military clothes?" she whined, praying that she wouldn't have to.

Epps laughed and she instantly knew that he was more of a humorous, fun type of person. He shook his head. "No, we won't force you to. And just call me Epps," he winked at her. Starting to walk towards the door, he halted when Tori called his name.

"Any word on Lilly?" she asked, and a frown replaced the smile on his face at the mention of the missing girl.

"No, not yet. We are trying our best to find out her location." Tori merely nodded, and he waved before closing the door behind him.

Tori's green eyes scanned the room and she couldn't help but feel impressed. When Lennox had told her they would be providing a room for her, she thought it would be an area with bunkbeds that she would have to be sharing with other female soldiers. A space completely to herself had surprised her. "This is like a hotel," she whispered out loud.

The room was rectangular with a desk and dresser against one wall and a bed against the other. A bathroom was to the right of her and she flicked on the lightswitch, peering inside. There was the typical toilet, sink, and shower, and an assortment of objects were on or under the sink. Hanging on the wall was a red hair dryer, something she was grateful they provided for her.

Flicking the switch off, she walked towards the bed and pulled up the soft sheets. Sliding her body under the covers, she fluffed up her pillow and lied her head down, falling asleep within seconds.

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 ***Later in the Morning***

Tori opened her eyes, blinking them a few times to clear the blurriness from awakening. She slowly sat up, remembering that she had been taken to a military base only six hours ago. She currently had no idea why she was there, but the men last night had told that she was needed to help Lilly. They had promised she would find everything out today and she couldn't help but feel excited to finally have her questions answered.

The men obviously knew what those robots were that had attacked the college, but what secrets were they hiding? She remembered seeing robots with blue eyes during the college attack, Lilly telling her they were the good ones. Maybe this had something to do with the good robots, especially since Lilly had known who they were. But, why did her roommate say the evil robots were after her? It made no sense.

There was a knock on the door, and she got up, opening it to find the familiar face of Lilly's friend, Bumblebee. "Good morning," he said, and she couldn't help but stare at him. He was wearing a white short sleeved shirt with a pocket on the front. On the lower half of his body he was wearing black and yellow checkered sweatpants, one of his hands casually resting in a pocket. He ran his free hand through his messy hair and she blushed as he caught her staring.

"Good morning to you, too," she said, looking at the ground shyly.

Bumblebee chuckled at the girl, noticing that her inner body temperature was rising from embarrassment. "Ratchet wants to see you soon. You better eat breakfast before he gets impatient and tries to find you," he warned.

Tori groaned, rolling her eyes. She said goodbye as she closed the door, heading towards the bathroom to get ready. Wincing as she looked in the mirror, Tori took in her appearance. Her black hair was tangled and her arms were covered numerous with cuts and bruises. Her pajamas she had on the previous night were dirty with spots of dried up blood from the small cuts she had received.

Quickly getting undressed, Tori hopped into the shower, grateful to be able to wash all of the gunk off of her. She stepped out and wrapped a towel around her body, heading towards the small dresser across the room. Pulling out the top drawer she smiled to herself. Epps hadn't lied after all. There weren't any military clothes, only some black t-shirts with a few pairs of camouflage sweat pants. Tori shrugged, not minding that the clothes weren't very attractive. They were comfortable and that's all that mattered.

Following the signs in the hallways to the cafeteria, she walked into the large room, the smell of bacon filling the air. Her stomach growled loudly and she hurried to wait in the short line to receive breakfast. It wasn't too busy, probably a maximum of thirty men and women were sitting at tables or waiting in line, chatting quietly to their friends. Tori looked hungrily at the food and it surprisingly didn't look that bad, especially for being from a cafeteria. She grabbed 5 strips of bacon, 2 bagels with cream cheese, and some orange juice, heading to find an empty table.

"Tori!" someone called, and she quickly turned around. Major Lennox was across the room, motioning for her to join him.

"Hey, Tori," he said, patting the seat next to him. "Would you like to sit with us?" The only other man at the table was Epps, widely grinning at her.

"Sure," she said, smiling at the two men. She onto a seat and began to eat her food, the soldiers watching in amusement as she wolfed down her meal.

"Woah there, slow down before you choke," Epps joked, and Tori gave him a playful look.

"I'm not gonna _choke_ ," she said rolling her eyes. Seconds later, she began coughing, a small piece of bacon flying out of her mouth.

The two men burst out laughing, and she couldn't help but join them. "See, I told you!" Epps cried out, the trio laughing even harder.

After finishing their meals, the three of them walked towards the exit of the cafeteria. "Can you bring me to the doctor?" Tori asked Lennox and he nodded, beginning to walk down a long hallway.

"I'll see you guys later," Epps grinned, waving. "Good luck with Ratchet, Tori," he said before disappearing down a separate hallway.

The girl shot a nervous look to Lennox. "Um, what does he mean?" she asked, biting her lip.

Lennox just chuckled, shaking his head to himself. "Ratchet can be rather grumpy and he can get pretty pissed with some of the soldiers here. But, I'm sure he'll be nice to you," he said, smiling at the girl. "At least for now," he added, and she gulped.

They arrived to a white corridor that smelled strongly of cleaning supplies and rubbing alcohol, reminding Tori of a hospital. A man dressed in a white lab coat was in the distance and he looked up from pushing a medical cart down the hallway.

They continued towards the man in the lab coat and Tori figured that he must be the doctor. He had light brown hair with strands of grey hairs here and there, appearing to be in his late forties. He smiled as he approached Tori and Major Lennox.

"My name is Ratchet," he said, extending his hand towards Tori. She shook it, returning the smile. He peered at the injuries on her body, his eyes scanning up and down her arms. She noticed how they were bright blue like the eyes of Optimus and Bumblebee, confusion forming across her face. Ratchet saw the small change in her mood and grunted, "What is it?"

Tori raised an eyebrow, surprised he could detect her confusion. "Why do your eyes look _so_ similar to the eyes of Optimus and Bumblebee?" she blurted out.

The doctor chuckled, shaking his head. "That, you will find out at another time," he said and opened a nearby door to a room. Lennox began to walk away, Tori feeling nervous with following a stranger who refused to answer her questions. She reluctantly followed Ratchet into the room, the doctor closing the door behind them.

He grabbed a clipboard from a shelf and took out a pen from inside his lab coat. "What is your full name?" he asked.

She replied "Victoria Anne Martin," and he nodded before scribbling on the paper.

"Is your head in any pain?" he questioned her.

"No," she said, sitting on the medical bed.

"Are you having trouble breathing?"

"Nope."

"Do your wounds hurt as of now?"

"They're a little sore, but nothing painful."

He looked up from the clipboard, his eyes scanning her body once more. "Your blood pressure seems to be fine and your heart rate is normal. There is no evidence of a concussion, although it seems you may have hit your head on something," he said matter of factly.

She gawked at him. "How did you know that?" she asked, feeling dumbfounded.

"Magic," he replied before smirking at her. Putting down his clipboard on a stool, Ratchet walked over to where the girl was sitting on the bed and gently picked up her arm, looking over the cuts and bruises.

"There appears to be nothing serious. No sign of infection, but I will put antibacterials on the cuts just to be safe," he said, walking over to a shelf. He pulled out some cotton pads and a bottle of clear liquid, which Tori assumed was the antibacterial.

"Do you have injuries anywhere else on your body?" he asked her, still rummaging through the contents in the shelf.

"Yeah, on my legs," Tori replied, folding up her sweatpants so Ratchet could see them easily. He turned around and looked at them before grabbing the supplies and placing them next to her on the bed.

He lifted both of her legs individually, scanning them before grabbing a cotton pad and the bottle of liquid. "No sign of infection either. I want you to take it easy for a day or two, no running around or doing something reckless."

She whined, "Really? Just a couple scratches and I can't even go on a run?" He shook his head, his blue eyes glaring at her.

"Obey my orders, I am a doctor, after all," he said, putting a few drops of the antibacterial onto the cotton pad. "You greatly remind me of Lilly, she always refuses to listen to me if I tell her not to do something," he chuckled.

"How do you know Lilly?" Tori asked him, shivering as the cold, damp cotton pad was applied to her skin. "Does she have a brother that works here or something?"

Ratchet shook his head, focusing on her cuts as he gently applied the antibacterial to her arms. "We have known her for a couple of years. She met us by accident," he said quietly and Tori raised her dark eyebrows at him.

"How did you meet her by accident?"

"Optimus will tell you later."

"Why can't you tell me right now?"

"I am just following orders, now stop slagging moving so I can apply this!" Ratchet shouted.

"Okay, okay, geez," she said, laughing at how angry the grumpy old man had gotten.

Ratchet grumbled as he saw the girl grin with amusement and sighed to himself. Once he finished applying the antibacterial to her wounds, he stood and walked to the shelf, putting the cotton pads and bottle of liquid away.

"You are free to leave. Optimus wants you to go to the hangar," he said and she got up from her spot on the bed.

"Can you bring me? I have no idea where I am right now," she asked, opening the door.

Ratchet nodded, following Tori out of the room. They began down the hall, Ratchet in the lead. "They would like to question you on what you saw happen last night," he said, looking back to the young adult behind him. "Then, you will find out why you are really here."

Tori brightened. "You mean all of my questions on why the heck I'm here will be answered?"

"Some, yes, but not all."

"Why not all?"

"Urg!" Ratchet growled, turning around. "Can you please just _stop_ with the 20 questions?"

Tori almost ran into the doctor and burst out laughing. "Sorry Doc, you just get angry way too easily," she giggled.

"Can you not call me that name?" he grumbled, continuing down the hallway.

"What, Doc?" Tori playfully asked, following him.

"Yes."

"Whatever you say, Doc," he growled. "I mean, Ratchet."

They turned a corner, Tori still laughing as the man rolled his eyes.

"Fraggin' humans," he muttered under his breath as they reached the hangar.

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 **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it was quite entertaining to write!**

 **We won't find out what's up with Lilly until chapter 14, sorry for making you guys wait! :P I'm sure you're all eager to see how she is.**

 **Feel free to leave a review, they are very appreciated! :)**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	14. Secrets

**We don't see Lilly's point of view in this chapter because this is the second part to Welcome to NEST! I promise we will see what's up with Lilly in chapter 14. This will also be a pretty slow chapter, but things start to look bright towards the end of the chapter! Hope you all enjoy.**

 **Thanks to the three of you who reviewed! You guys are awesome!**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: The next chapter will have Lilly's POV, don't worry :) You're right, Tori is getting impatient, but she will soon find out about the secrets! ;) Glad you are enjoying it so far.**

 **Answerthecall: Thank you so much! I always look forward to your reviews :) I will certainly try my best to keep it up!**

 **Transformerminionkittycat: Don't we all wish we could bother Ratchet? That is on my bucket list, although it will never come true *cries* I'm glad to make you laugh, I always love reading funny fanfictions! Thank you and here is the next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 13: Secrets**

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Tori and Ratchet walked across the large room, passing the Autobot's alt forms on their way. Tori admired them, noticing how shiny and well-polished each car looked, like the owner of the vehicle had taken extra care to keep it scratch-free.

"Is this yours?" the girl asked, walking up to a yellow search and rescue Hummer. Ratchet smiled and nodded.

"I am a medic on and off the battlefield, so I use this vehicle to transport me quickly in case of an emergency," he said, standing close to it. Tori walked to one of the doors, glancing curiously at a weird looking metal face painted onto it.

"What is this?" she asked, tracing it with one of her fingers. Ratchet shifted uncomfortably and watched as her finger moved along the Autobot symbol, sending a slight shiver down his holoform's spine.

"It is my team's insignia," he replied, moving to stand next to her. She stopped tracing it and turned around to the cars she had previously passed. On the side of every single one of them there was the same exact insignia that was on the Hummer.

"It looks pretty cool," she said, continuing past the car in front of her. Ratchet mumbled a thanks and followed her. They passed more vehicles, some of them not as expensive or powerful looking as others, but Tori froze in her tracks as they walked by a massive eighteen wheeler. She recognized it to be the vehicle she had told Bumblebee was "one nice looking truck" and she hadn't been wrong. Flames were painted on the sides, alternating between the colors of blue and red. On the top of the grill the same insignia all of the other cars had shared.

"This would be pretty badass looking if it turned into one of those robots, don't you think?" she asked, turning around to face Ratchet.

The medic's face went very pale and his eyes flickered with concern. "Yes… It would, I suppose," he said. "Come on, let's get going." He motioned for her to follow, hoping she wouldn't bring up the robots again.

After climbing a set of stairs, they arrived to a large meeting room where there were a decent amount of people gathered. Tori spotted Bumblebee across the room talking to an unfamiliar man with platinum blonde hair. She nervously stood next to Ratchet, trying not to make eye contact with the strangers in the room.

"Hello Tori," she heard and looked up to find Lennox smiling at her. Behind him was Epps, grinning like always. Next to the major was a man that was familiar, Tori recognizing him to be Optimus.

"Hi guys," she replied, feeling all of the eyes in the room train on her.

"Tori," a deep, baritone voice echoed and her eyes met with the blue one's of Optimus. "Please debrief us on what happened last night."

Tori closed her eyes, sighing. The room was silent, everyone patiently waiting for a response.

"So, it all started at around 11:00. I had woken Lilly, because she had fallen asleep at her desk. She explained to me how school was already stressing her out, and I told her that I understood how she felt. We then got into our beds when Lilly all of a sudden got up and ran across the room. I asked her what was going on and she shushed me, telling me to be quiet. Then, she backed up from window and told me that we needed to get out of the room, I had no idea what the heck she was talking about," Ratchet grunted, interrupting her.

"She must have seen the Decepticons," he said and a few people nodded in agreement. Tori still had no idea what the Decepticons were, so she continued.

"That's when the floor shook, and Lilly pulled me out of my bed. We ran down the hall when the floor shook yet again and she told people to start running. Once I heard the sound of an explosion, I finally knew why Lilly had dragged me out of the room. Soon, a ton of people were screaming and running down the hallway with us and we ran down the stairs, stopping as we reached outside. It was complete chaos," Tori fell silent, shuddering at the memory.

"There were buildings on fire and students running everywhere. Lilly and I dove as something was shot over our heads, and I looked in the direction the fireball came from. My heart literally stopped as I saw three giant robots walking towards us with red eyes," she paused, taking a breath. She furrowed her brow in thought, finally connecting the pieces together.

"Wait a minute," she said, looking over to Optimus. "Are the Decepti-whatevers those evil robots?" she asked, Optimus slowly nodding.

"Yes, they are our enemy. Otherwise known as the Decepticons," he said. _How could a human be enemies with a twenty foot robot?_ she asked herself, shaking her head.

"Anyways, we ran for towards the main campus until Lilly pulled me behind a building. She told me how the robots were after her, that they were there because of her. I had no idea why she was saying that, why would they be after _her_ specifically?" Tori glanced at Bumblebee and saw him glaring at the floor, clenching his fists tightly. Pure hatred filled his eyes and she wondered what history he had with the Decepticons. She continued, her green eyes locking onto Optimus.

"She told me I needed to run and never stop, and that if I saw robots with blue eyes that they wouldn't hurt me. She said she was going to try to distract the robots that were attacking, and before I could stop her she ran off. I ran in the direction everyone was running, buildings all around me exploding into flames. Then, I saw more robots, except they had blue eyes," Tori began to fiddle with her thumbs nervously. A few soldiers raised their eyebrows and glanced at each other.

"That's when I heard Lilly scream. I looked back and saw in the distance one of the red-eyed robots pick her up as she continued to struggle. I was way too far away to get to her in time, let alone contact help. Then, the robot turned into a car and sped away," Tori said, tears building up around her green eyes. The room was completely silent, everyone seeming to hold their breath.

"Thank you, Tori," Optimus said and she gave a small nod. "We would like to show you something, our secret. You cannot tell _anyone_ , even family or friends."

Tori raised an eyebrow, curiosity filling her. About nine people stepped forwards and she noticed something unique about all of them. They _all_ had those glowing, blue eyes! Optimus coughed, beginning to speak.

"Tori, meet my family. You already know Bumblebee," he motioned to the boy standing to the left and he gave her a curt nod. "This is Ironhide, Jolt, Sideswipe, Arcee," he continued down the line and she was surprised to see a female. "These are the twins, Skids and Mudflap," he motioned to two young looking boys that weren't as attractive as the majority of the people in front of her. "And, you know Ratchet, our medical officer." Tori smiled at the doctor and he grunted as a reply.

"So, what's so special about you guys?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"We are not from this planet," Optimus said, and Tori took a step back, startled.

"What do you mean? You guys are human, _how_ are you not from Earth?"

Optimus sighed, standing up straighter, his tall form towering over Tori. "The robots you saw at the college attack are not from here," he began, and Tori's green eyes widened. Everything made sense!

"Stop right there," Tori looked at the blue eyes of all of the people in front of her, everything clicking into place. "So, you're saying that the good robots from the attack are you guys?" she asked. Optimus nodded.

"You are correct," he said, smiling at her. She opened her mouth to reply, the only sound coming out of it a small shriek as she watched the nine people begin to disappear, blue sparks taking their place. Her mouth fell open as they vanished and she looked around at the soldiers, all of them chuckling. She went to ask Ratchet what was happening, only to find him gone as well.

"What just happened?" she whispered and Epps walked by, taking her hand.

"Follow me," he said, flashing a set of white teeth at her. She glanced back as she went through the door, still shocked to find that the people hadn't returned. The soldiers filed out of the room, following Tori and Epps down the stairs.

Epps walked her to the middle of the hangar, stopping as he continued to grin at her. He looked in the direction of where the automobiles were parked and Tori's gaze followed and her eyes widened as they all began to move on their own.

She screamed, latching onto Epps's arm as the cars surrounded the humans in a large circle. As if on command, all of the vehicles began to transform and Tori was breathless as she watched what was thought to be the impossible happen right before her eyes. The sound of gears shifting and metal scraping against metal filled the air, until standing in front of her were robots _exactly_ like the ones that had attacked her last night, except these ones seemed different. Instead of crimson red eyes they had soft blue ones, immediately easing the terrified girl. The tallest one kneeled in front of her, his red and blue body towering over her by at least thirty feet.

"These are our true forms, Tori. We are autonomous robotic organisms, or Autobots for short," the robot said gently, and she realized it was the exact voice of the man she was talking to minutes ago.

"Are you Optimus?" she asked and the robot nodded.

"Yes, my designation is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots," he replied.

"You're not going to hurt me, are you?" she hesitantly asked, turning around to look at all of the robots. They stared at her with curiosity and she couldn't take her mind off of their intriguing eyes.

"No. We believe freedom is everyone's right and we would never hurt a human being on purpose. We are here on Earth to stop our enemies, the Decepticons, from hurting _your_ race," he said, pointing a giant finger towards the small girl.

A voice from behind her spoke and she turned around to find a black and yellow robot staring at her with soft, baby blue eyes. He kneeled as well, looking directly at Tori.

"It's me, Bumblebee," the robot mumbled, lifting his faceplates into a smile. "I am the Camaro that drove you here last night," he chuckled as realization dawned upon Tori. She just blinked at him, speechless.

"So, why haven't your enemies left our planet? Why did they take Lilly?" Tori asked, turning her attention back to Optimus, who had stood up from his crouched position.

The leader vented, Tori realizing how _human_ the Autobots looked. Instead of skin, they just had metal parts and were, well, a _lot_ bigger than a person. He looked at her, his optics making contact with her eyes.

"We believe they are here looking for something from our planet. I am not quite sure what exactly it may be, but we can only hope they do not find it soon. We do not know the true reason why the Decepticons took Lilly, although we are guessing they want to question her or use her as bait," he said softly. Tori gulped, realizing just how much danger her friend was in.

"So, Lilly knows about you guys?" she asked the robots, all of them nodding in confirmation. The familiar voice of Ratchet came from her left, where a yellow robot stood.

"She was the one who discovered that our race was on this planet, that is why she knew what the Decepticons were. Bumblebee was assigned as her Guardian to protect her from harm, although he wasn't able to fulfill his duty last night. It is not his fault," the robot said, looking at Bumblebee whose optics were downcast.

"It's no one's fault except those evil Decepticons," Tori growled, her voice low. "How are we going to get her back?"

Instead of one of the robots answering, Lennox stepped forward, catching the girl's attention. "I have teams working to find her this very minute. We do not have many clues right now and we are unable to find any sign of Decepticon who kidnapped her. Although, we were informed earlier this morning that Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons, was entering Earth's atmosphere. He is yet to land, but when he does we will immediately follow him to the location where he is in hopes to find Lilly there," the major said, determination plastered across his face.

Tori nodded, wondering if there was any other way they could find Lilly when an idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Can you guys track cell phones?" she asked and Major Lennox raised an eyebrow, catching on to what Tori was meaning.

"I believe we can," he said, looking at his soldiers as they nodded in confirmation.

Tori's face brightened. "Maybe you can track her phone! I remember she had it with her, it was in her back pocket!" she exclaimed, excitement building up inside of her.

The robots and soldiers started to whisper, hope beginning to fill the air. "I think we could try that, do you agree, Optimus?" Lennox looked up to the Autobot leader.

"It is worth a shot," he replied and kneeled close to Tori. "Thank you for pointing that out. We may be able to find Lilly sooner than we thought." The girl smiled brightly, nodding.

Tori felt something cold slip underneath her and she squeaked, falling onto a large, metal hand. She looked behind her and saw the face of Bumblebee, happiness filling his blue optics. "Thank you, Tori," he said and she patted one of his giant fingers.

"It's no problem, Bumblebee. Can I call you Bee for short?" The young mech nodded, beginning to walk towards a nearby catwalk. She grabbed onto his large fingers, gripping them tightly. "Please don't drop me!" she said, shutting her eyes as she mentally cursed her fear of heights.

Bumblebee chuckled. "I won't drop you," he said, Tori raising her eyebrows in doubt. He placed her onto the catwalk and she slowly slipped off the palm of his servo, standing up so she could see him face to face.

"I'm worried about her," Bumblebee said quietly and Tori knew he was talking about Lilly.

"She will be okay, Bee," Tori assured him, but he shook his helm.

"The Decepticons have slaughtered so many beings, both Cybertronian and human. If she dies, I…" he paused, staring at the ground. "I will never be able to live with myself." Tori frowned at his response and could instantly tell how much Lilly had meant to the young mech. Even though only five minutes ago Tori was terrified of the robots, she was already getting used to their presence.

"We can only pray," Tori began, "and hope. Hope is what will get us through this. She _will_ be okay."

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 **Yay, Tori finally met the Autobots! Things are just starting to get good :)**

 **– SapphireSpark**

 **Credit to the song "Secrets" for the title, by OneRepublic**


	15. Destiny

**Woo hoo! After all of the re-editing on this story, I finally have a brand-new chapter ready to post! Thank you all for being patient.**

 **Now, responses to my lovely reviews:**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: YAY! Tori finally did get to meet the Autobots! :D Thank you for waiting, here is Lilly's POV!**

 **Answerthecall: Thank you! And I hope so as well! ;)**

 **Transformerminionkittycat: Bumblebee is so adorable 3 Haha I understand about the family thing, my parents are like that too! I'm glad you liked that chapter, I hope you like this one as well!**

 **Enjoy, my friends! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 14: Destiny**

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Lilly slowly opened her dark blue eyes, only to find complete darkness around her. She blinked, feeling confused as she moved her foot to walk, but it remained frozen in place. Lilly felt weightless, almost like she was _floating_.

"Hello?" she called, her voice echoing through the silence. It was as if Lilly was in space, but there were no moon or stars shining brightly at her, softly twinkling in the night. It was just black.

The girl noticed she wasn't in pain, so was she dreaming? Lilly clearly remembered being injured by one of the Decepticons, and her head had been throbbing. Where was she now?

"My child," a voice answered her, sounding much deeper than Optimus. Lilly glanced around, but could see nothing.

"W-Who are you?" She stuttered, her heart beginning to pick up its pace. Was this another random nightmare, a possible vision? Suddenly, two bright blue optics opened in the distance, illuminating a giant metal face.

"I am Primus," he replied, his body hidden by the darkness, although Lilly could just _feel_ that it was huge. She had recognized the name, for Bumblebee had told her stories about the beginning of her race.

"Where are we?" Lilly asked, squinting her eyes to try to see better in the pitch black. Her heart almost stopped as she pictured the worst. "Wait... Am I dead?"

Primus shook his helm, gazing softly at the small girl. "No, you are alive and well. I brought you here to give you a warning, my child."

Lilly's body was lifted high into the air by some kind of invisible force as she was brought closer to the Cybertronian god.

"What do you mean, danger?" Lilly asked, raising an eyebrow nervously.

Primus sighed, bringing her closer to his face so he could see her better. "My child, you are not who you think you are."

Lilly was silent, completely confused at what he was talking about. "What…?" She asked, dumbfounded.

"I have been watching you for years, Lilly Roth. You have showed strength and bravery in extremely difficult times, and that is why I have chosen you to have the power of the Allspark," Primus said, narrowing his large optics at the small girl.

"You... You're giving me powers? But I thought the Allspark was destroyed, I killed Megatron with it!" Lilly said.

"The Allspark can never be destroyed, its power and knowledge can only be transformed. The Autobots are in danger, my child. You are the only one who can save them, and you shall hold they key to stopping your planet from facing destruction," his deep voice echoed through the darkness.

Lilly's mouth fell open. "How are the Autobots in danger? How do you expect _me_ to save them?"

"There is something called The Orb of Darkness, that is hidden on your planet. It contains dark energy and has the ability to turn an Autobot into a deadly Decepticon," Lilly gasped, her body beginning to shake.

"T-turn an Autobot i-into a Decepticon?" she stuttered, looking at the Cybertronian god in front of her. How was that even possible?

Primus nodded, keeping his optics fixed on the girl floating in front of him. "Yes. You must warn the Autobots of the danger and begin immediately searching for it," his voice boomed.

The girl sighed, looking up at him. "Look, I would love to do that, but I'm captured by Decepticons right now. I'm not sure I'll live to speak with the Autobots," she chuckled jokingly, forming her lips into a straight line.

Primus slowly shuttered his optics, re-opening them moments later. "Do not worry, my child," he assured her. Lilly nodded, feeling slighty safer than she did before.

"So, you said I'm not who I think I am. What do you mean? How am I supposed to destroy The Orb when I'm just a human?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"You will see, Lilly. You will be granted powers like no other. The destruction of The Orb is up to you, it is your destiny," A giant hand emerged from the darkness, stopping in front of Lilly. A bright, blue light came from the palm of the hand, encasing Lilly as she closed her eyes from the brightness.

The girl watched as her vision began to fade, falling away from whatever world they were in. She had so many unanswered questions in her mind, why hadn't Primus told her everything? Right before she disappeared, Lilly felt something _different_ stir inside of her.

 **––––––––––**

Lilly let out a groan as she pulled herself up from the ground, blinking a few times to get a clear focus on her surroundings. The thick bars of her jail cell casted shadows on the ground, a bright light coming from the window of the door that led into a hallway.

She looked down to her hands, seeing that they were still normal. What was Primus talking about? In fact, _nothing_ had changed except the larger emptiness in her stomach, her body begging for food and energy.

She was frightened. Primus had given her a warning, but she was stuck with the Decepticons. _What am I going to do?_ she asked herself, panic overcoming her from the large task she was given. She had to save the world from destruction yet again let alone, the Allspark would be inside of her! Lilly furrowed her brows in confusion, trying to put together the pieces Primus had given her. Now, it was up to her to find the missing pieces to the puzzle.

She weakly stood up, her feet shaking underneath her. The girl instantly collapsed to the ground, her body too exhausted to support itself for even a few seconds.

Looking to her wounds, Lilly noticed they hadn't been healed. If anything, they looked even worse than they did earlier, thick, sticky blood building up around the deep cuts. The pain in her side was even stronger, and Lilly clutched her hands to her wound, biting her lip to keep from crying out in pain.

A sound made Lilly jump and she whipped her head in the direction it came from, her heart racing from the startling noise. The large door to the room slowly opened and a Decepticon drone walked in, turning his bright red optic towards Lilly.

The girl whimpered as he approached, crawling to the corner of the jail cell, attempting to shrink away from sight. To Lilly's surprise, the drone unlocked the cage door and threw something inside, shutting and locking it immediately.

The objects bounced off the ground, and Lilly quickly made her way towards them as the drone left the room. There were a few slices of bread and a bottle of water. Lilly stared at them in shock, she never thought that she would see food or a drink again.

Snatching them into her hands, Lilly didn't think twice about the bread as she hungrily ate it, not at all phased on how it was slightly stale and had possible mold on it.

 _Where the heck did Decepticons get food from?_ Lilly asked herself as she finished the last piece, trying to make the tastiness of the bread last. Even though bread was probably the dullest piece of food she could eat, her hunger made anything sound delicious, as long as it was edible. Opening the water bottle, she tried not to drink it quickly, rather taking large sips every minute or two.

After Lilly finished with her "meal", she felt slightly better, the pains of hunger in her stomach going away. Her tongue felt more moist than it had in the last day and Lilly took this as a good sign, grateful she at least got a little bit of water.

The silence of her jail cell gave the girl time to wonder. If the Decepticons fed her, it meant that they didn't want her to die... At least not yet. How long would she be stuck in the cell, waiting for something, _anything_ to happen?

Lilly crawled over to the bars, gripping the cold metal tightly as she stood up. Her legs shook under her, but didn't give out like last time. She slowly made her way around the cell towards the door with a giant lock on it. She stopped, hearing faint voices coming from the hallway.

"...going to do with her, Lord Megatron?" a muffled voice asked, Lilly gasping at hearing the Decepticon leader's name. Wasn't he supposed to be dead, at the bottom of the ocean? Have the Autobots been hiding something from her?

A dark voice growled, and Lilly instantly knew it was Megatron. "I am going to question her and will see how that disgusting earth femme responds. If she refuses... punishment will await her. Go fetch the girl."

"Yes, Lord Megatron," a voice hissed, and Lilly whimpered as she fell onto the floor, weakly scooting to the back of her jail cell as the door opened.

Starscream entered the room, his optics narrowing when they rested on her. "There you are," he said, walking over to the cell door and opening it with a key. Lilly tried to avoid his large servo as he grabbed for her, but failed miserably as his claws closed around her.

He pulled her out of the jail, Lilly struggling helplessly as he squeezed her tighter. She screamed in pain, tears streaming down her face as her sides felt like they were on fire. Starscream snickered at the girl, walking out of the room and heading down a hallway.

Lilly's heart thumped wildly in her chest as Starscream walked towards a door where multiple Decepticons were heading in and out of. _Primus, you better be darn right about my survival_! Lilly thought, desperately trying to conjure her so called "powers" as they walked into my room.

A few Decepticons were in the room, standing in front of large screens as they tapped the glowing surfaces. At the far end was a small metal berth, the perfect size to hold a human. Turning her head sharply as she heard a nearby growl, Lilly's eyes widened in complete terror as Megatron stood before her.

His blood red optics narrowed at her, a smirk forming onto his faceplates. "Hello, little girl," he mumbled.

Lilly's head began to throb rapidly, the pain becoming unbearable as she tried to glare at the Decepticon leader. Within seconds, Lilly slipped into unconsciousness, and she swore she heard the voice of Primus speak to her.

" _Stay strong, my child_."

 **––––––––––**

 **We are finally fully introduced to Primus! Does anyone have any guesses on what he means by "You are not who you think you are?" Leave a review, I would love to see what you guys think? Whoever leaves a guess closest to the right answer will get a little spoiler of their choice ;) Unless they don't want one xD**

 **The next chapter won't be up for a couple days, because I will be busy. Have an amazing day/night!**

 **–** **SapphireSpark**


	16. Find You

**Just to let you know, this chapter takes place at the time when Lilly wakes up in her jail cell (after she talked to Primus), in case any of you were wondering.**

 **Thank you so much for all the reviews! You all had amazing guesses to my question last chapter! :)**

 **Answerthecall: You'll see soon! Thank you so much!**

 **Transformerminionkittycat: Well, one of your guess is right! That's all I'm going to say ;) And I know right, Megatron sucks :( And when he says "Stay strong, my child" he is just trying to let Lilly know that no matter what happens she will be okay. Thank you so much, your review meant a lot!**

 **Eunice Pacheco: You'll see! Thank you for the review! :)**

 **Nina2314: Thank you, I am very happy you are enjoying it! Great guess, you will see soon! Thank you for the review Nina :)**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: Thank you sooo much, here is the next update, my friend!**

 **MysteryUser108: YAY HERE IS THE UPDATE! xD**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

 **––––––––––**

 **Chapter 15: Find You**

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"Tori!" Lennox called, running up the catwalk towards where the girl was talking to Bumblebee. Tori turned her body to face Lennox, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey Lennox," Tori said, smiling at the Major. He came to a halt in front of her and glanced at Bumblebee, whose optics were flickering with curiosity.

Lennox focused his attention back to Tori. "My teams are trying to track Lilly's phone, but we don't know her number. Do you have it?" he asked her.

Tori nodded and reached into her pocket, pulling out an iPhone 6. She scrolled through her contacts, landing on Lilly's name and number. "Here you go," she said, placing it in his hand.

"Thank you. Come with me, we can see if we can track a signal or not," Lennox started for the stairs, Tori following his lead. Bumblebee watched them walk across the hangar, heading towards another catwalk where there were soldiers crowded around computers. He remained still, his optics glancing at the floor until the sound of a nearing Autobot caused him to look up.

Optimus was approaching him, his optics filled with concern as he watched the young mech look at the ground miserably. "Bumblebee," the leader began, halting in front of his scout. "I can see that something is on your processor."

Bumblebee vented, shaking his helm. "Optimus, I'm so worried about Lilly," he said, training his baby blue optics on Optimus.

"Do not worry, Bumblebee. We will find your charge soon," Optimus assured the mech.

"It's not about finding her. It's about if she will be alive or not, if she will be safe _or_ not!" Bumblebee's voice rose, anger and fear overcoming his systems. "Do you think the Cons will treat her like a guest? No! They will torture her and injure her! And if they kill her, I... I won't be able to live with myself!" he shouted, his engine rumbling with hatred.

Optimus took a step back, shocked at how harsh Bumblebee was. His voice remained calm as he spoke to the youngling. "Bumblebee, I know you are afraid. We cannot worry if Lilly is dead right now, we must focus on locating her first."

Bumblebee narrowed his optics at the leader. "Look, I'm sorry sir. Lilly…" he began, his optics falling to his pedes. "She is the one, I just can't lose her. Not when she has a whole life ahead of her. I need her to be safe." Optimus nodded, and Bumblebee looked up to his leader, lifting his faceplates into a small smile. The yellow mech transformed into his alt form and sped down a large hallway out of the hangar, his tires creating echoes as he disappeared.

Tori and Lennox reached the catwalk and made their way up the steps, stopping in front of a large group of soldiers.

"I have Lilly's number!" Lennox shouted, squeezing his way through the crowd. He showed a soldier at the computer Tori's phone, and the man typed furiously away at the keyboard, his eyes focused on the screen.

"I'm getting a signal!" he shouted, the soldiers and Tori turning their heads to look towards the screen. "It's... it's coming from one of the mountains in Colorado!" Everyone looked at each other, an expression of puzzlement across their faces.

Lennox squinted at the screen, watching a blinking red light coming from an image of a forest. "The Decepticons took her all the way out there?" he asked, shaking his head. "Optimus!" he called.

The Autobot leader made his way over, his optics narrowing. "What is it, Major?" he asked, stopping near the catwalk.

"We have a location on Lilly's cell phone! It's coming from a forest in the mountains, located somewhere in Colorado," Lennox said, pointing at the computer screen.

"Colorado?" Optimus asked.

"Yes. The signal is near the Rocky Mountains, deep in a forest," Lennox replied, staring at Optimus.

"Hang on a second," a soldier said, peering at the computer screen. "Is that a building?" He pointed at a silver square surrounded by trees, the blinking light coming from inside, indicating the location of Lilly's cell phone. Lennox scanned the image, nodding.

"It is. It looks like a warehouse, probably a temporary base for the Decepticons." Optimus formed his faceplates into a frown.

The Autobot leader opened his mouth to speak when a soldier came sprinting towards them, calling Lennox's name. He ran up the stairs of the catwalk two at a time and halted when he reached Lennox.

"M-Major, Megatron has just landed!" Lennox turned to the soldier, his lips forming into a hard line.

"Where?" he asked, and the crowd fell silent, waiting for the answer.

"Somewhere in Colorado, we have his coordinates," the soldier said, his eyes darting around the crowd. There were a few gasps as people connected the location of Megatron to Lilly's phone.

"Soldier, have you tracked Megatron to this location?" Lennox asked, pointing to the screen where the forest was still displayed across it. The soldier leaned forward to scan the screen and after a few seconds nodded a yes.

"Major Lennox, gather a team of soldiers immediately. There could be a possibility that more than just a few Decepticons are there, and I guarantee you they will be prepared for our arrival," the Prime said, his optics narrowing on the crowd. Lennox turned, ordering a few soldiers to prepare for the mission. The men nodded, running towards the stairs on the catwalk.

Optimus sent a comm link to all of the Autobots as he began to walk away from the catwalk, towards the middle of the hangar.

:We have found the location of Lilly, I need all of the Autobots to report to the hangar immediately: He ordered, and a few of the Autobots quickly replied that they would be there shortly.

Within thirty seconds the majority of the Autobots appeared out of hallways or from outside, gathering around Optimus. Bumblebee shifted on his pedes nervously, his spark pounding rapidly in his chassis.

"We have also tracked Megatron's energon signature to the exact location Lilly is located. Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Ironhide will be coming with me, while Jolt and Ratchet will remain here and prepare for Lilly's return," Optimus instructed, looking over his family.

"Megatron has finally landed?" Arcee asked, crossing her arms over her chassis.

"Yes, and with Megatron and Lilly in the same place, there is no telling what he could do to her," Optimus replied, and the femme stood still, her optics watching the leader intently.

Bumblebee growled in hatred at the Decepticon leader. If he did anything to her...

"Yo Optimus!" a voice called, and the leader glanced downwards to find Skids and Mudflap looking at him anxiously. "Why wasn't we mentioned, huh?" Skids said, Mudflap nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, we want ta help wif da mission, ya know," Mudflap retorted.

Optimus vented, shaking his helm in annoyance. Ironhide grabbed the twins and smashed them into each other, throwing them aside.

"Stop being annoying, you slaggin' meatheads," the weapons specialist said, kicking Mudflap in the side as a warning.

"Ow! That hurt!" Mudflap cried, rubbing his metal plating on the side.

"Maybe it's 'cuz you was being stupid!" Skids cried, punching his brother.

The twins began to fight, jumping on top of each other and shouting. The rest of the Autobots moved away from the brothers, glad that they were at least distracted and not bothering them.

"Optimus, Colorado is far away," Sideswipe pointed out, wheeling close to the leader. "How are we supposed to rescue Lilly in time? It will take over a day if we drive!"

The sound of an engine revving echoed across the hangar, and a few military vehicles approached. Lennox was in the largest one and looked up to Optimus. Epps stood next to him, his usual goofy grin nonexistent on his face.

"We just contacted the Air Force, they are willing to fly us to the Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado," Lennox said, and Optimus nodded, turning to the other Autobots.

"Those of you coming, please prepare. Those of you staying, keep in contact with us and update me if anything happens while I am gone. Autobots, roll out!" Optimus ordered. Lennox and his team headed for the hangar exit and the Autobots assigned to the mission transformed, following the military vehicles.

Optimus was about to transform when Tori called his name, running towards the giant leader. "What about me?" she asked, looking at Optimus eagerly. "I want to help!"

The Prime shifted his helm downwards, staring at Tori softly. "I am sorry, but it is too dangerous for you to come with us. If you would like to help, you may assist Ratchet."

"What?!" Ratchet asked, turning around from talking to Jolt. "Assist me? Optimus, I do not _need_ help!" His optics narrowed at Tori, an unamused frown forming on his lip plates.

"You don't want my help? Come on Ratchet, aren't I your favorite?" Tori said sarcastically, grinning playfully.

Ratchet continued to glare at Tori, his optics narrowing even further. He was not a huge fan of humans, but Tori? She was probably one of the most annoying organic beings he had ever met.

"Ratchet," Optimus said, his tone warning.

"Fine. Come on," the older mech mumbled, motioning for Jolt and Tori to follow him. Jolt nodded, remaining silent as Tori jogged behind the two Autobots.

Optimus transformed, parts shifting and gears whirring as a Peterbilt truck took place of the Autobot leader. He honked his horn as he neared the exit of the base, signaling to his team that he was ready to go.

 **––––––––––**

The two Autobots and human girl walked into the large Med Bay. Tori gasped at how _large_ the room was and spun in a circle. There were giant, medal tables in the middle of the room, and Tori walked up to one, the structures towering over her.

"We call these berths," Jolt said quietly, the blue mech placing a servo on the berth.

"Are these like giant beds for your species?" she asked Jolt, staring at him curiously.

"Yes, they are medical beds for Cybertronians," Jolt replied, giving Tori a small smile. The girl returned the smile, walking over to where Ratchet stood before what appeared to be a giant computer.

"Ratchet, why are we in here?" Tori asked, and the medic glanced at the girl, rolling his optics in the process.

"I have some Cybertronian technology in here that I like to check daily. I can see all of the Autobot's signatures and what condition their systems are in," he motioned to a large screen that looked _extremely_ high tech.

Tori nodded and stopped next to Ratchet. Jolt walked across the Med Bay and opened some large cabinets, searching for something.

Ratchet narrowed his optics as he scanned the screen, looking for anything unusual. Tori watched silently as he swiped the screen, moving things around with his large metal digit. He typed at a keypad, mumbling things to himself.

"Jolt," Ratchet called, in the middle of typing something. He looked across the room to find the blue mech's optics trained on him, an optic ridge raised in question.

"Yes?" Jolt asked.

"Can you start preparing the human section of the Med Bay? Lilly may be in critical condition, we need it ready as soon as possible," he ordered and Jolt gave a small nod, transforming into an electric blue Chevrolet Volt. He drove towards the exit, turning down a hallway.

"Tori," Ratchet said, glancing down at the girl, "I need you to help Jolt as well."

"Okay," Tori replied, running off in the direction Jolt had driven.

Ratchet sucked oxygen into his vents, even though it wasn't necessary to keep him alive. _Peace and quiet at last_ , he thought to himself. Glancing back at the energon signatures he was tracking, the medical officer could see that the Autobots were nearing an Air Force base.

He walked over to the berths, preparing them for any Autobot injuries or casualties. Ratchet was in the middle of organizing energon cubes when a warning began to beep on the screen, a flashing light grabbing his attention. He hurried over, typing a few codes into the keypad and scanned the screen.

The mech's energon froze when he saw a strong signature of the _Allspark_ coming from where the Decepticons had taken Lilly. "This can't be," he muttered, resetting the systems. The screen flashed on again and it was still there, the light blinking on and off indicating the Allspark's presence.

"What in the name of Primus…" Ratchet fell silent, shaking his helm. His optics were wide open, their blue light looking at the screen again and again.

"How can this be possible?" the medic asked himself, trying to find exactly where the signature was coming from. It couldn't be Megatron, the shard was too small to have caused his technology to pick up a signature. Who could it be then?

Ratchet quickly sent a comm link to Optimus, his spark racing.

:What is it, Ratchet?: Optimus asked.

:Prime, we have a problem. I am detecting a strong Allspark signature from Lilly's location:

Optimus was silent for a minute. :Are you sure, Ratchet?:

:Yes, I reset everything and it was still there! I don't know what it is Optimus, it appeared out of _nowhere_ just a few minutes ago! I just don't understand, the Allspark was destroyed!:

:Thank you for letting me know, Ratchet. But remember, the Allspark can never be destroyed, it can only transform. Perhaps it has changed forms... I will warn the team to be careful when nearing the base:

The comm link went silent as Optimus closed it and Ratchet began to pace, his optics flickering with worry and wonder. He feared that whatever was containing the Allspark energy could be deadly, for its power was extremely strong. If the power was not coming from a Decepticon, he knew his enemies would do _anything_ to obtain that power, worrying Ratchet greatly.

He stopped pacing and stared at the screen in confusion. This was going to take a long time to solve, and he might as well get working on it before the Autobots landed in Colorado.

:Jolt?: He asked through their comm link.

:What's the matter?: Jolt replied within a few seconds.

:We have a problem, and I believe I will need more than just one processor to solve it:

 **––––––––––**

 **So, the Autobots have finally figured out where Lilly was and have gone to rescue her! But, Ratchet found a presence of the Allspark... What will happen next? :P**

 **Any guesses for next chapter or what will happen in the future? Like what Megatron may do or ask Lilly? Please leave a review or PM me, I love to see what you guess think will happen next! :)**

 **Also if you have any questions for me at all that you may be confused about, or questions in general, please don't hesitate to ask.**

 **Next chapter we will see what is up with Lilly, so stay tuned!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	17. Consequences of the Truth

**Yay, we finally get to see Lilly's point of view in this chapter! FYI: The shard Sam found stuck to his shirt does not exist in this story, so the last piece of the shard was used to revive Megatron!**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who left a review! I truly appreaciate all of them, they really help me with ideas and developing my story.**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: You'll see! And I think you're right, do the Decepticons ever treat their prisoners nicely? Bumblebee is quite adorable with his concern for Lilly :3 Here's the update!**

 **Eunice Pacheco: You might be right, my friend! Thank you for the review! :)**

 **Answerthecall: Thank you so much! You're right, you'll find out more about the Allspark in this chapter!**

 **Nina2814: Haha glad you are excited! Here ya go!**

 **Transformerminionkittycat: YAY, THEY DID! xD You'll see about the Allspark in this chapter, you may be right! ;) And as for Lilly and Bee's relationship, things will begin to get better in a few chapters *winks***

 **Guest: You'll find out in this chapter! ;) Here's it is, I hope you like it!**

 **Now, on with the story! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 16: Consequences of the Truth**

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"What?" The Autobots chorused, shock across their faceplates as they stared wide-opticed at Optimus.

"I'm sorry Optimus, but that just can't be," Arcee said, placing a servo on her hip.

The red and blue mech looked at his team, shaking his helm. "Ratchet did not believe it either. He reset the systems and the Allspark signature was still there. What exactly caused it to appear, he does not know. We must take extra caution when approaching the enemy base, for the power of the Allspark is extremely strong," Optimus said, his optics focusing on Major Lennox.

He and his men didn't have loads of information on the Allspark, primarily because they were not Cybertronians. But, the NEST soldiers knew the dangers of the powers, for they had seen it kill Megatron when it came into contact with his spark. Lennox coughed, grabbing the attention of the rescue team.

"We are about to land in a twenty minutes. Lilly's location is not too far from the Air Force base, but we must be stealthy rather than eager to find her. Remember, one false move and she could be killed," Lennox said, looking at Bumblebee as a warning.

"My men and I will remain on the outskirts of the area and surround the base in case any of the Decepticons try to escape with Lilly. Once one of you retrieves her, the goal is to get Lilly to me and my men so we can transport her quickly to the base in D.C. Since there are five of you," he motioned to the Autobots, "I need there to be two groups, one for distracting while the other one goes to find her in the building."

Sideswipe wheeled forward, his bright blue optics gazing at the human.

"Bumblebee, Arcee, and I can sneak into the base," the silver mech said, shifting his weight onto one pede. "We can be quick while Optimus and Ironhide can use their strength to distract and fight off the majority of the Decepticons," he continued, turning around to face his comrades.

Optimus nodded in agreement to Sideswipe's idea. "That could be a good strategy," he began, "but we must stay in contact during the entire rescue. If you are overwhelmed or spot Megatron, you need to comm me or Ironhide and let us know of the situation," the Autobot leader replied.

Lennox nodded, opening his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by an announcement.

"We are landing shortly, please fasten all vehicles and put on your seat belts. Thank you."

The human soldiers moved to the sides of the plane and sat on metal seats, pulling on their seat belts. The Autobots transformed, hooking their tires onto tracks on the floor of the plane, securing themselves for landing. Bumblebee looked out of his rearview mirror, watching as the humans chatted quietly. He felt uneasy, his spark desperately wanting to find his charge and bring her home safe and sound.

:Optimus?: The youngling commed his leader, hoping to get the chance to speak with him.

:Yes, Bumblebee?: Optimus's gentle but deep voice came through, comforting the yellow mech.

:I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier: Bumblebee apoloized, feeling slightly guilty.

There was silence on the other end for a minute as Optimus thought how to respond.

:Youngling, you have much to learn. I do not blame you for your actions, you are merely concerned for the safety and well-being of your charge. That is the job of being a guardian, after all:

:I know, but that is no excuse to get angry at you: Bumblebee thought of something that had been in the back of his processor for quite some time. :Hey Optimus?:

:Hm?: The leader asked.

:Do you think that the 'Cons have already killed her?:

:No: Was the Prime's immediate response, and Bumblebee felt shocked at how confident he was in his answer.

Optimus continued. :I believe they will interrogate her and try to get information:

Bumblebee revved his engines, growling. :Lilly's too stubborn to give away any information. If she refuses, they will kill her!:

:You are right, Bumblebee. That is why we must get to her as quickly as we can:

The yellow mech's energon seemed to turn to ice as he thought of Lilly, pale and motionless. A low growl escaped from Bumblebee, thinking that if the Decepticons killed his charge he would rip the spark out of every single one of them, showing no mercy.

And if Lilly lived, he would never let her out of his sight again. Bumblebee would fight to prevent her from experiencing the horrors of being kidnapped by the Decepticons again, by being tortured. He felt empty inside without her, she was like a lantern through the dark: he _needed_ her in his life.

:Optimus?: He commed the leader again, wanting to ask him a favor.

:What is it, old friend?:

:If I am offlined during this mission, can... can you tell Lilly that I love her?:

Optimus was stunned for a moment at the younglings confession. The leader had seen through the ways that the mech always had an optic on the girl when she was in the room, through the ways that Lilly brushed past her Guardian's pede when she walked by, through the ways that the two of them were always smiling when they were with the other, how much they truly influenced one another's life. Lilly had brought life to Bumblebee, and he could act like himself around her. Since the war had taken away the youngling's childhood, Lilly gave it back to him, piece by piece.

:Of course, Bumblebee. I will make sure to let her know that: Optimus replied, smiling to himself.

The yellow mech's spark hummed with happiness, glad to at least to have some way of communicating his feelings to Lilly if he died.

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The words echoed in Lilly's ears like a tunnel, " _Stay strong, my child_ ". It was definitely Primus, but why had he told her to be strong? She had never felt so terrified in her life, even during her worst nightmares. At least Bumblebee was always there to hold her close, to protect her. Now he was gone.

Lilly craned her neck as she looked around the room, her body unable to move. Her arms, legs, and torso were strapped to a table, the cold metal giving her shivers on her bare skin.

Her eyes scanned the room, watching silently as a few Decepticons spoke in Cybertronian, working at computer screens. She felt momentarily safe, grateful that the Decepticons were not bothering her at the moment.

As if on cue, the door opened and Megatron and Starscream walked in, their hunched forms making the room go quiet. Lilly gulped, her heart beginning to pick up its pace. _I spoke too soon_ , she thought, biting her lip nervously.

The Decepticon leader turned his helm towards Lilly's table, his silver plating reflecting the lights on the ceiling. Noticing that she was awake, he made his way to the small table, Starscream trailing behind.

"You have finally awakened," he growled, leaning down so his large face was in front of Lilly. Megatron opened his mouth, his sharp fangs making Lilly whimper in fright.

"What do you want?" the girl snapped. No matter how terrified she was, she wasn't going to show Megatron any signs of weakness or oblige to his commands. She couldn't let the Autobots down like that, she had to stay strong. Megatron leaned back, surprised at the girl's stubborn attitude.

"Hm, it seems like you may be trying to defy me," Megatron growled, narrowing his optics. "Do you know what happens to people who defy me?"

Lilly shook her head, fear trickling through her. The giant mech laughed, pressed a button hooked up to the table. "This!" he yelled. Lilly's body jolted as an electric shock went through her, the girl screaming in pain. The nerves in her body felt like they were about to explode.

Megatron released his grip on the button and snarled. "How dare you talk to me like that!" he screamed, his optics becoming a brighter red. Lilly gasped for breath, her insides crying for some kind of relief from the excruciating pain. She chose not to speak, instead forming her lips into a hard line.

"Do you know what happened to the Allspark?" Megatron asked her.

"All I know is that it was destroyed, and that the Autobots had a shard," she weakly said, her voice becoming raspy. She could vaguely remember Primus telling her he was giving her the power of the Allspark, but she had no idea what he was talking about.

"They no longer have that shard," Megatron said, and Lilly's mouth fell open as she realized how the leader was even in front of her: the Decepticons had stolen the shard.

"Look, I had no clue what I was doing when I killed you with the Allspark," Lilly said, trying to be at peace with Megatron. The silver mech glared at her, his optics feeling like they were burning into her soul.

"If you had no idea what you were doing, why am I sensing the Allspark inside of you?" Lilly's eyes widened. The Allspark was inside of her? What had Primus done?

"Inside of me?" Lilly repeated, dumbfounded.

"How did it get inside of you?" Megatron asked again, his optics narrowing darkly.

Lilly gulped, the conversation with Primus in the back of her mind. "I-I don't know," she stuttered. The Decepticon leader growled again, holding the button as Lilly screamed in pain, this time even worse.

Megatron released the button, glaring at the stubborn girl. "Do not lie to me, earthling," he said. "Why am I sensing the Allspark inside of you?"

Lilly felt so weak and helpless. Her body was beginning to shut down, and with a few more electrical shocks, she would be as good as dead. "Primus told me that he would give me the of the Allspark," she whispered quietly, tears coming to her eyes. Megatron backed up in surprise, not expecting that answer.

"Primus?" he repeated incredulously and Lilly gave a small nod. A smirk formed onto the leader's lip plates as he realized how valuable the girl in front of him was.

"Scalpel," he called, and a small Decepticon that looked a lot like a spider crawled from behind Megatron and jumped onto the table. He moved on Lilly's stomach, looking at the girl with interest.

"I am sensing ze Allspark," Scalpel muttered, using his talons to move her head around. Lilly remained still as her eyes focused on the Decepticon's ugly face, his two optics scanning her over. He began to check the girl all over her body, not caring about the cries of pain that came out of Lilly when he gave her a cut or tugged at her skin.

Megatron watched intently as the doctor walked up and down Lilly, his optics quickly scanning her body in the process. Lilly remained quiet, biting down hard on her lip to keep from crying out in pain. The Decepticon came to a stop at her chest, his red optics scanning it up and down. A look of bewilderment fell upon his faceplates and he looked up to Megatron.

"I found where ze Allspark is coming from!" the doctor said, pointing to where Lilly's heart was. "She is not a normal earthling!"

Megatron raised an optic ridge, using it as a cue for Scalpel to tell him more.

"She has a spark, not a heart!" the little Decepticon cried, poking Lilly in the chest with his sharp talon.

Megatron narrowed his optics, curious as to how she obtained a spark. He noticed that she was still bleeding a red substance, how come it wasn't energon if she had a spark?

"Why does she still have blood?" Megatron asked, pointing to her open wounds. Scalpel crawled to the nearest one, glancing at it before shaking his small head.

"I don't know, but she has a spark. That is where ze Allspark power is coming from!"

Lilly's eyes widened. She had a spark? But how? Is this what Primus meant when he said she was not who she thought she was? What was happening to her? A million questions flew through her mind, greatly wishing Primus had answered more of them.

Megatron growled, catching the attention of Lilly. "We need her powers, the Allspark is vital for us to win the war!"

"Are you going to dissect me or something?" Lilly whimpered.

"That is exactly what we are going to do," Megatron replied, smirking. "But, you do have a choice if you want to live... Tell us where The Orb is."

Lilly had never felt so panicked and terrified in her life. "The Orb?" she repeated, and Megatron nodded.

"You have heard of it, haven't you?" he asked, and Lilly knew if she lied they would instantly kill her.

"I have, but I don't have a single clue to where it is. All I know is that it is on this planet," she replied, her breathing becoming more rapid.

"Don't lie to me, girl! Where is The Orb?"

"I don't know, I swear!" she cried, her heart, rather spark, pounding in her chest.

Megatron stood tall, his blood red optics narrowing at her. "You have made so many mistakes in your life, child. You offlined me with the Allspark, and now you have its powers. I believe it's time for me to take it back," he said, laughing darkly. "Kill the girl," he ordered, beginning to walk out of the room.

 _Come on Primus, I need those powers now!_ Lilly screamed in her mind. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for some kind of way to escape. The situation was hopeless.

Scalpel nodded and crawled around Lilly, checking things on her body like her nose, mouth, and ears. "Zis is only going to hurt a lot," he said, laughing as the girl let out a whimper. The brunette struggled to move her body, trying to escape the restraints, but they were secured too tightly.

Starscream smirked, hissing, "Have fun in the Pit!" as he followed Megatron. Lilly's eyes widened, weakly crying out for help.

The small Decepticon formed his arm into a saw, the sharp blade spinning as he brought it close to Lilly's chest. Tears spilled down the girl's pale skin and her vision began to slowly blur.

"Please d-don't," Lilly begged as the figure of Scalpel became distorted. His saw was inches away from her skin, her head feeling as light as a feather. Before she slipped into unconsciousness yet again, she heard a familiar voice shout her name.

"Lilly!" Despite her vision being blurred, she was still able to hear him crystal clear.

"B-Bumblebee…" she said weakly, her eyelids beginning to close.

Lilly's head head fell sideways, catching a glimpse of yellow armor before she slipped into darkness.

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 **Woo! Somewhat of a cliffie! What do you think will happen next? I love to see what you guys think, your ideas are awesome!**

 **Please leave a review!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	18. The Rescue

**This chapter has a ton of action! I really hope you guys enjoy it, I spent a lot of time working on it! It is quite a bit longer than most chapters, which I am pretty happy about.**

 **NEWS: You guys are probably wondering why I post almost every day. No, it's not because I am rushing this story, it's because it's summer and I have _a lot_ of free time, so I write almost every day. Trust me, when school comes around, the updates will be _much_ less frequent.**

 **FYI: I am awful at describing battle scenes, you have no idea. So, I apologize if nothing makes sense during the battles in this chapter, I have a lot of difficulty writing them. THEY ARE JUST SO HARD! :(**

 **Now, time for the reviews!**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: I'm sorry, but it was supposed to make you upset, it's a cliffhanger after all xD Here you go!**

 **Transformerminionkittycat: YAY HE DOES! I honestly love to read your reviews, they always make me so happy and I always laugh when reading them xD Sorry about the cliffie, but sometimes they are necessary when writing stories ;)**

 **EunicePacheco: I apologize, I hate cliffhangers as well (unless I write them!) mwhahahahaha! xD**

 **Answerthecall: You're right, there will be lots of action in this chapter! Thank you :D**

 **Yo Mama90: You will see in future chapters! ;) Thank you for leaving a review!**

 **Nina2814: Bumblebee is so cute :3 Here's the update, I hope you like it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 17: The Rescue**

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A line of vehicles sped down the long, windy roads of Colorado, passing mountains that seemed to reach the stars. The vehicles were going well over the speed limit, in an obvious rush. The night sky was twinkling with bright stars and the moon was watching silently over the earth, almost like a guardian angel.

After driving for well over an hour, the cars slowed as they approached a thick forest to their right. In one of the vehicles in the front, a man with short brown hair leaned out of the window, squinting into the darkness. He took a flashlight and shined it at the trees, the brightness illuminating an overgrown dirt path into the forest.

"I found a path, this is probably the right one!" he shouted, swiping his arm in a motion for the other cars to follow. The driver slammed on the gas, flying deep into the woods as the bottom of the car ran over tall grasses and small shrubs. One could tell by the lack of tire marks on the dirt road that it hadn't been used in many, many years.

Major Lennox grabbed the radio, holding the mouthpiece close to his face. "Come in, base," he said, the static crackling as it tried to get a signal.

A voice on the other line came through, distant but present nonetheless. "Yes, Lennox?"

"Are we heading in the right direction? We have found a path into the woods that is extremely close to Lilly's location," The Major mumbled, watching the road carefully ahead of him.

The line was silent as the communicator was busy looking at a screen, tracking their location.

"Yes sir, you are on the right path. This should lead directly to the warehouse." Lennox gave a thumbs up to the driver, looking into the back of the military vehicle he was in.

"How are you guys doing back there?" he asked, scanning the six men sitting on seats in the sides of the truck.

"We're pretty good," a man answered, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Are we getting close?" another soldier asked, leaning forwards to try to see out of the front window behind Lennox.

"Yes, in fact–" Lennox looked at the road in front of him as the car slowed to a stop. He turned back, giving his fellow soldiers a small smile. "I think we are here."

The Major and his men stepped out of the vehicle, staring at the line of cars behind him. Already waiting for their command were five robots and around twenty soldiers, their attention focused on Lennox.

Epps walked to Lennox's side, grinning at his fellow soldiers and Autobots.

"All right, now the building is just up there," Lennox pointed down the road, where in the distance there was a small opening from the canopy of trees. "Remember, everyone has to be in their position at the right time. Bumblebee, Sideswipe, and Arcee, wait for our signal and then infiltrate the base quickly. Optimus and Ironhide, approach the back entrance and try to get the majority of the Decepticons to come your way.

Now, Lilly's cell phone signal is coming from deep inside, so the three of you will probably have a couple of 'Cons to deal with before you reach her," Lennox pointed to the team of three that would be rescuing the girl. "If you run into any trouble you must contact Optimus or Ironhide and ask for backup. Is everybody ready?" the Major asked, and the Autobots and soldiers nodded.

"Okay, let's go!" he yelled, hopping back into the truck along with his men.

The three different groups dispersed, Optimus and Ironhide disappeared into the forest, the soldiers drove further down the path to surround the base, and Bumblebee and his team crouched near the entrance, waiting for their signal to attack.

The yellow mech was feeling very anxious, his optics watching the building intently. Lilly was somewhere in there, and he was so close to finding her, to saving her.

Arcee watched Bumblebee in concern, her lip plates forming into a frown. "Hey Bee," she whispered, placing a small servo on his yellow armor. "She is going to be okay."

Bumblebee could only manage a small nod, his optics still trained on the building. Sideswipe drew his blades from his forearms, crouching below the large bushes.

"I'll go down the hallways and make sure they are clear before you guys come," the silver mech said, keeping his voice low.

"If I run into a 'Con, you guys can back me up. When we find Lilly, the goal is to get her out of there and to Lennox and his team as soon as possible. We will worry about her injuries later," Sideswipe said, directing the statement towards Bumblebee.

Arcee shifted on her pedes, her scanners picking up a strong signal. "Are you guys sensing the Allspark nearby?" the femme whispered quietly, furrowing her optics in confusion.

Bumblebee glanced at Arcee, then gave the femme a small nod. "My scanners are picking up a very strong signature from the Allspark," the youngling said, looking back to the building in thought.

"I can sense as well, although I still have _no_ idea where it's coming from," Sideswipe growled in annoyance.

They all whipped their helms to the left as they heard gunshots and shouting in the distance. The Decepticon drones in the front of the warehouse ran towards the back, leaving the front completely open and unguarded.

:Go now!: Ironhide ordered through their comm, and the trio snapped to action. Sideswipe wheeled quickly to the entrance, transforming his arm into a cannon as as he scanned the area for any remaining Decepticons. He crouched near the door, motioning for Arcee and Bumblebee to hurry up as they sprinted towards the silver mech. They came to a stop behind Sideswipe, waiting for his signal.

"Ready?" Sideswipe asked, and they nodded. He sped inside, the doors opening automatically as he held his swords close out in front of him. The mech came to a stop at the end of the hallway, turning back to look at his comrades.

:The coast is clear!: He yelled through their comm link and Bumblebee and Arcee took off in his direction, their scanners on high alert. Sideswipe looked around the next corner and frowned.

"Got three drones in this hallway," he whispered, looking back at his team. "Let's be quick."

The three Autobots sprang out of their hiding spot, firing their cannons at the drones. Sideswipe jumped onto one, shoving one of his swords into its chassis, while Arcee and Bumblebee took down the other drones with ease. Checking to make sure their enemies were completely offlined, the three of them looked around the corner, which was another abandoned corridor. They jogged halfway down, Sideswipe wheeling ahead when he came to an abrupt halt. There was another hallway leading off of the one they were currently in, and the silver mech raised an optic ridge in confusion.

"Which way?" Sideswipe asked as he pointed towards their new option. Bumblebee glanced down it, trying to decide whether to continue down the corridor or go down the new one. He turned back to his comrades, shrugging his shoulders.

"Should we split up?" Arcee asked, her optics darting around their surroundings.

Bumblebee quickly shook his head. "That isn't a smart idea. One of us could be ambushed by some 'Cons and the other two would be too far away to get there in time."

The three Autobots froze as the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway they were contemplating to go down. A Decepticon turned the corner, the mech's red and orange armor appearing as his optics fell onto the three enemies in front of him.

"A-Autobots?" he stuttered, backing away in fright.

Sideswipe wheeled halfway down the corridor, holding his swords out threateningly. "Surrender or die, Firewarp," he growled, narrowing his optics at the enemy Seeker.

Firewarp shifted on his pedes, not knowing what to do. His optics darted between the the three Autobots and he stepped forward nervously.

If he decided to surrender, Megatron was bound to punish him by death. But if he fought, the chances of him surviving were close to zero. It was a lose-lose situation, and the Decepticon had no way of escape. Or did he?

"Hmm," the small mech mumbled quietly, his optics darting to the ceiling. A smirk formed on his faceplates as he looked back to the Autobots, who were pointing their cannons at him as they inched closer. "I would love to stay, I really would," Firewarp joked, his own cannon crackling to life. "But I have to get going."

He pointed his cannon at the ceiling, blasting a hole that revealed the night sky. As soon as the three Autobots realized what they were doing, they began to fire at the mech, attempting to stop him from escaping. But, Firewarp had already transformed, rocketing into the sky as he fled the battle.

Arcee ran under the hole Firewarp had created, snarling. "Scrap!" she yelled, kicking a part of the debris that had fallen from the ceiling in anger.

Sideswipe stopped next to her, placing a servo on her shoulder. "Come on, it's no use getting mad about it. Firewarp is a fraggin' pile of scrap metal." The femme nodded, following the two mechs as they ran to the end of the hallway.

They continued down more corridors, only running into a few more Decepticon drones. The presence of the Allspark was even stronger and they took more caution, making sure to scan any Decepticons they faced in case they contained the power of the Allspark.

Bumblebee, Arcee, and Sideswipe came to a stop as they reached the end of a hallway. The loud sound of arguing made them stop, and they leaned against the wall quietly.

Sideswipe narrowed his optics, peering around the corner. He quickly pulled back, his spark beginning to thrum in his chassis. "Megatron and Starscream are down the next hallway," he whispered, leaning forwards to look at his two comrades.

Bumblebee raised an optic ridge, bringing a digit to his face as if saying "Sh!" to make sure Sideswipe and Arcee remained silent.

The three Autobots stood against the wall and remained still, trying not to make a sound as they listened to the Decepticons' conversation.

"What is going on?" Megatron growled, slamming Starscream into a wall.

"L-Lord Megatron, the Autobots are attacking!" the Seeker cried, whimpering in fear.

"They are ruining our plan!" Megatron yelled, his voice low and menacing.

Starscream winced as the larger mech shoved him deeper into the wall. "H-Have you retrieved the Allspark yet?" the Seeker wheezed.

"No, Scalpel will begin the surgery soon," Megatron replied, narrowing his optics at Starscream. His scanners alerted him of nearby Autobots, and he moved his helm towards the end of the hallway.

It went very quiet, and the three Autobots looked at each other, their optics wide as the silence crept over them.

"I know you are here, filthy Autobots. Come out," Megatron's voice echoed.

Bumblebee, Arcee, and Sideswipe emerged from their hiding spots, immediately gathering into their battle stances.

:Optimus, we have found Megatron: Bumblebee commed his leader, narrowing his optics as he watched for any movement from the two Decepticons in front of him.

Optimus replied instantly. :Bumblebee, be careful. Ironhide and I will be coming shortly: The yellow mech nodded to himself, sliding his battle mask on. He transformed his arm into a cannon, the energy crackling to life as he aimed it at Megatron.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Megatron opened his claws as he motioned to the three Autobots in front of him. "Is this an attempt to rescue the little femme?" he asked, narrowing his optics at Bumblebee.

The yellow mech growled and took a threatening step forward.

"Where is she?" Bumblebee demanded, his door wings quivering in anger. Sideswipe wheeled forwards, holding his swords out in front of him to attack at any moment's time.

Megatron laughed, glaring at the two mechs. "You think you'll get the girl?" he asked. "She is probably already dead."

Starscream snarled in his raspy voice, "Humans are so weak, so pathetic! Not a single one of them deserves to live, they are all worthless!"

Anger burned through Bumblebee as he shifted his gun towards the Seeker. "They are _not_ worthless!" he screamed, an image of Lilly appearing into his processor. He had grown attached to the organic planet, his new home after Cybertron was destroyed, and would do anything to defend it and its inhabitants.

Before the two Decepticons could reply, Bumblebee ran forward, Arcee and Sideswipe following his lead. With the combined force of the bullets shot by the three Autobots, Starscream and Megatron had no time to prepare for their strikes.

Megatron snarled as he held his arm up, the metal plating deflecting most of the bullets. He quickly transformed his arm into a cannon, charging the energy as Sideswipe and Bumblebee approached him. He fired it towards the two Autobots and both of them dodged it with ease, returning the fire. Sideswipe wheeled to Megatron's side as Bumblebee distracted him and shoved his sword into the large mech's torso. It just missed Megatron's spark chamber, and the Decepticon hissed angrily as Sideswipe shoved the sword deeper into his side. Bumblebee charged his cannon and shot it at Megatron's chassis, a direct hit as metal flew off of the Decepticon leader.

Megatron stumbled backwards, surprised by the sudden strength of the two Autobots. But, he wasn't known to give up that easily. The large mech grabbed the sword and ripped it out of the silver mech's body, Sideswipe grunting in pain as the cables and wires attached to his sword were torn in half.

The Decepticon leader angrily pulled Sideswipe's detached sword from his torso, energon spilling out of his wound profusely. Megatron used his arm to cover his injury while the other slammed Sideswipe against the wall, the smaller mech tightly closing his denta to keep from crying out in pain. Bumblebee watched as his comrade collapsed to the ground and he shifted his gaze towards Megatron, anger burning through his systems. A deep growl came from the bottom of his engine as he sprang forward, jumping onto the larger mech. Megatron grabbed Bumblebee and easily tossed him off, the yellow mech hitting the ceiling before falling onto the floor.

Arcee took on Starscream, the small femme using her agility to dodge his shots as she aggressively fired back. Arcee used her speed to confuse the Seeker, striking quickly before she fell back and disappeared from Starscream's view. The triangular-shaped mech spun in a circle, growling angrily as every shot he fired missed the small femme.

He spotted Arcee running towards him and he dove at the femme, attempting to pin her to the ground. She spun out of the way and hopped into the air, landing swiftly onto Starscream's back. Arcee grabbed his neck tightly, squeezing forcefully as she loaded her cannon.

"Any last words Starscream?" she hissed, tightening her grip as the Decepticon made choking sounds. Starscream was too stunned to react and his optics widened as she fired her cannon forcefully into his neck plating, energon quickly spilling out of the wound.

The Seeker screamed in pain as he punched the femme into the air, clutching at his neck to try to stop the heavy flow of energon. He stood up weakly, watching his leader battle the two Autobot mechs. His processor was telling him to flee, to be a coward, but what would Megatron think of him?

Starscream had no choice but to stay and fight. How could a tiny femme possibly be beating him? _I'll show her_ , he growled to himself as his cannon crackled to life. He fired at Arcee and the femme rolled out of the way just in time. She jumped in front of Starscream as he was reloading, kicking him powerfully multiple times.

Bumblebee pushed himself off of the ground, dents and scrapes already covering his metal armor. He glanced worriedly at Sideswipe, who was struggling to stand as energon dripped from where his sword had been torn away from his arm. Megatron fired his cannon at the weak silver mech, but Bumblebee pulled Sideswipe out of the way just in time, saving him from a deadly blow.

"You okay, Sides?" Bumblebee asked, using one arm to help Sideswipe to a standing position as the other charged his plasma cannon.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," the silver mech growled, narrowing his optics at Megatron. The Decepticon leader unexpectedly lurched forwards, shoving Sideswipe out of the way as he tackled Bumblebee to the ground.

The youngling's helm slammed onto the ground as Megatron put his full weight onto the smaller Autobot, pinning him. Bumblebee winced as Megatron put his knee to his chassis, the armor beginning to crack under his weight.

"You have always been so weak, so foolish," Megatron said darkly, laughing at the pathetic mech in front of him. "Do you think you would be able to protect the human femme forever?"

 _Ouch_. The word's touched Bumblebee's spark like poison, hatred boiling in his engine as he spat at Megatron, snarling loudly.

"No, but I'll make sure to offline you first," he retorted and squirmed helplessly. He had to fight, he had to survive. _For Lilly_.

"Oh, Autobots. How unwise you all are. I believe it's time to put an end to you," Megatron said, his cannon glowing to life right in front of Bumblebee's optics. The youngling prepared for the worst, when all of a sudden the weight lifted off of him, Megatron's body soaring down the hallway. Bumblebee weakly sat up in confusion, watching Ironhide and Optimus running down the opposite end of the hallway. His optics fell onto his right leg, which was badly damaged by Megaton.

Sideswipe wheeled over to Bumblebee, energon leaking from his chassis. "Come on," he said, helping Bumblebee up. "I think Lilly's this way," he pointed to a nearby hallway and they hurried down it, leaving the fighting to Optimus and their comrades. Sideswipe wheeled ahead and stopped at an open door, pointing inside.

:She's in here!: He commed to Bumblebee and the yellow mech ran faster, despite his injured leg. The two Autobots entered the room, pointing their cannons at the enemies that were present. The Decepticons at the computers turned their helms towards the two mechs at one, surprised looks upon their faceplates.

Sideswipe glanced at Bumblebee, giving his well-known smirk. :I'll take care of them:

Bumblebee scanned the room, an extremely strong signal from the Allspark alerting his systems. His optics widened as they fell onto a small table, where an unconscious brunette girl lying on top of it. The Allspark was practically radiating off of the human, but how was it possible?

The yellow mech shook his head, telling himself he had to focus on getting Lilly to safety. He spotted Scalpel, the Decepticon doctor on top of the girl, holding some kind of medical tool above her chest.

"Lilly!" he cried, running towards the table. Scalpel was about to rip open her skin with he noticed the Autobot approaching and shrieked, scurrying away. Bumblebee snarled as his cannon came to life, blasting the little Decepticon to metal pieces.

The youngling stopped as he neared the table, looking over Lilly worriedly. Bumblebee quickly scanned her and relief soon filled his systems, a heartbeat was present, although weaker than usual. He carefully cut open her restraints, making sure not to pinch her fragile skin. The mech gently lifted the unconscious girl up, bringing her body close to his chassis.

"I'm finally here," he soothed, although she couldn't hear him. Happiness swelled in his spark as he realized that she was alive, but that moment was short-lived as he felt some sort of liquid drip onto his servo.

Bumblebee looked in horror at his charge as blood slowly oozed from open wounds. There was a large amount of dried up blood covering her torso, and her skin was extremely pale, indicating a dangerous amount of blood loss.

"What have they done to you?" Bumblebee whispered, his optics narrowing in anger. The mech was frozen, glancing up and down at the numerous injuries across her body until Sideswipe wheeled over, snapping him out of it. The silver mech's optics fell on Lilly, concern across his faceplates.

"Give her to me, I'll get her out of here quickly," Sideswipe said, lifting a servo to the girl.

Bumblebee knew in his spark Sideswipe was the fastest one out of all of them, but he didn't want to Lilly to leave his sight. Spotting the uneasiness on his comrade's faceplates, Sideswipe added, "I promise she will be okay. She will be safe, but we _need_ to get her to Lennox now."

The yellow mech nodded, reluctantly handing the small girl to Sideswipe. He held her close, speeding out of the room and down the hallway, avoiding the place where Optimus and the others were still battling Megatron and Starscream. He crossed his pedes over as he turned a corner, pushing off his wheels powerfully as he sped down the halls.

Sideswipe pumped more energon into his systems, wanting to get Lilly out of there as quick as she can. His optics glanced down, frowning as he saw how bad of a state the girl was in. She was as pale as a ghost, and blood stained almost every area on her clothes. He could only pray that she hadn't lost a lot of blood, or else they were in trouble.

The mech spotted the door to outside in the distance and shot his cannon at it, the metal object exploding before he jumped through it. Wheeling onto the grass, he scanned the surrounding area, locating Lennox's vehicle to the right of the path in the woods.

"Lennox!" Sideswipe shouted, slowing as he neared the vehicle. "I have Lilly!"

Lennox and his men ran to the silver mech and he knelt down, handing the girl off to the soldiers. One of them carried her quickly to the back of the truck, the other soldiers following.

"Let's get her back to base," Lennox breathed, running to the passenger side of the truck. Starting the ignition, the driver pulled onto the dirt path, quickly increasing his speed. Sideswipe transformed and followed them, fulfilling his promise to Bumblebee that he would make sure the girl would get to the base safely.

Lennox turned around in his seat, watching as the soldiers began to bandage Lilly's cuts and check her pulse. "Is she alright?" he asked, biting his lip nervously. A soldier looked up and nodded.

"She'll be fine, but she has lost a dangerous amount of blood. We need to get her to Ratchet soon."

With that warning, the driver pressed the gas pedal down even further, and the two cars disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

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 **Yay! Lilly is _finally_ rescued! I can't wait until Lilly and Bee can talk again, how about you guys? ;)**

 **I am thinking of making a sequel to this story, it will continue into DOTM. I will put my own twist to it, but I think you guys would really like it. Please let me know if you would like me to do that!**

 **Also, I'm planning on writing a prequel to show you how exactly Lilly and Bee met, all that fun stuff. This story was quite random and I want you all to see my take on the first movie.**

 **Stay tuned for the next update, thank you all so much for reading! Don't forget to follow this story so you can get an alert when it's posted!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	19. Home

**Finally, a new chapter! Sorry about not posting for a few days, I was really busy and was also suffering from writers block xD But, I'm back and will be posting more regularly!**

 **Sorry for the lack of action in this chapter, it's more of a filler to show what happened to Lilly between the time she was rescued and would wake up. I need to write something!**

 **Thank you for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews. You guys are amazing! 3**

 **Nina2814: Me too! And thank you for your opinion, it really helped!**

 **Answerthecall: Thank you so much!**

 **Blackwidow7777: Sorry for the wait, here's the update! xD**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: Yes, she finally is! Thank you for waiting, here's the update!**

 **Transformerminionkittycat: Woo hoo! (I really want that Bumblebee xD) And you'll see if she'll be fine or not! Thank you for waiting, here is the update!**

 **Now, on with the story! Again, this is a slower chapter, not much action. But, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 18: Home**

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Tori yawned widely as she walked down the hallway to the Med Bay, her footsteps echoing off the floor of the long corridor. She had recently finished preparing a room for Lilly's arrival, and was currently heading to see what Jolt and Ratchet were up to.

Jolt had been helping Tori in the human Med Bay when he had received an urgent call from Ratchet, leaving Tori the job of preparing the room by herself. It hadn't been a hard task, but it was time consuming, and by the time she had finished it was well over 11:00 at night.

Tori entered the room to find the two mechs in front of the computer screen, their optics narrowed in concentration as they swiped the glowing surface using their digits. The sound of Tori approaching made Ratchet turn around, who only grunted in response before turning his attention back to the screen nearby.

"Hi guys," Tori said, stopping near one of the berths. "Were you able to find anything?"

The two mechs stopped moving things around the screen and glanced at the girl, shaking their helms in frustration.

"We haven't been able to pick up where the signature is coming from," Jolt said, his optics steadily watching the girl. "I mean, you probably don't know what the Allspark is, but this is a huge surprise we have even been able to detect it, since it had been destroyed when Megatron was killed."

Tori frowned slightly. "So, whatever this Allspark is, it's a big deal that it has returned?"

Ratchet narrowed his optics at Tori. "A _big deal_? This is much more than a big deal! It doesn't make sense how it has suddenly returned! A power like no other is back on Earth, and it can destroy your entire planet if it is in the hands of the Decepticons," he said, throwing his servos in the air for emphasis.

Tori's eyes widened, and she barely whispered, " _Destroy_ our planet?"

Jolt kneeled down so he could speak to the girl easier. "The Allspark has energy and power like no other. On Cybertron, it brought our species to life, but it can bring yours harm," he said gently, pointing to Tori. "We need to ensure that it is in our hands, not the enemies."

Tori turned to Ratchet for more explanation, but the mech was standing still, his optics slightly dimmed. His faceplates were concentrated, nodding his head at random times. The girl looked at him in confusion, snapping her fingers as she tried to grab his attention.

Jolt chuckled. "He's receiving a comm from someone," he said, motioning to Ratchet, who was standing beside him. Tori nodded her head, patiently waiting for him to finish.

A few minutes later, Ratchet's optics brightened and he shook his helm. He turned to face Jolt. "Optimus is nearing the warehouse. The human section of the Med Bay is prepared, yes?"

Jolt nodded and glanced at Tori. "You should get to bed," he said, kneeling down and offering Tori a servo. She eyed it warily for a moment, then climbed on, holding tightly to one of his digits.

"I'm not tired," Tori said, shaking her head in protest. She lifted her head up, her eyes meeting those of Jolt's. "Plus, I'm not getting a minute of sleep until Lilly gets here, safe and sound. I'll stay awake all night if I have to."

The blue mech shook his head at the human's stubbornness. He looked to Ratchet for help, nudging the older mech.

Ratchet slowly blinked. "Tori, I guarantee that Lilly won't be well enough to have a conversation with you when she arrives here. She will most likely be injured and in dire need of medical assistance, and you cannot get in my way while I am busy," he said. "Why don't you get some rest so that when Lilly is well enough to talk you can be there to support her?"

Tori opened her mouth to respond, but closed it instead. She sighed, giving a slight nod as she leaned back on Jolt's servo. "I guess you're right," she admitted.

"Want me to bring you to the human quarters?" Jolt asked, his optics focusing on Tori as she yawned.

"Yeah, sure," Tori mumbled, beginning to feel drowsy. Jolt headed towards the exit, and Tori turned around so she could see the medical officer before she left the room

"Bye, Ratchet!" she called, waving at him happily. Ratchet looked up from his work, giving a slight wave to the girl. Tori adjusted her sitting position on Jolt's servo, turning to face the the mech as she smirked.

"I don't think he hates me, after all," she said, grinning as they exited the Med Bay. Jolt rolled his optics sarcastically.

"Ratchet doesn't hate you," he said. "It may seem like it, but he doesn't. Sure, he's a grumpy ol' bot most of the time, but he does have a soft spot in his spark." Tori nodded in agreement, chuckling.

The two remained silent as they crossed the quiet hangar, Jolt coming to a stop near a door. He lowered his servo onto the ground, and Tori hopped off, holding onto a digit as she regained her balance. She looked up to the blue mech, smiling tiredly.

"Thanks, Jolt," she said, and he returned the smile, standing up from his crouched position.

"You're welcome," he replied and turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Tori cried out, running a few steps to grab his attention. Jolt stopped, raising an optic ridge in confusion. "Make sure Lilly's safe, alright?" she asked. The mech's optics softened as he gave her a small nod.

"We'll try our best, Tori. There are no promises, but we won't let her die in our hands." Tori nodded, backing up slowly as she reached the door to a staircase.

"Goodnight!" she called, disappearing up the flight of stairs. She jogged down a few hallways, being careful not to wake anyone up. Coming to a halt as she neared her room, Tori dug the keys out of her pocket. Within five minutes, Tori was lying in bed, her eyelids heavy from drowsiness.

The girl gazed at the ceiling, wondering what was going on during the rescue mission. Had they found Lilly? Had any of the Autobots been killed? Was Lilly even still alive? The thought made the girl shudder, tears forming in her eyes. Lilly didn't deserve any of this. She deserved a normal life, with normal friends and family. Not constantly on the run from bad guys, or fearing for her life.

Tori turned to her side, blinking as tears slowly slid down her small nose. She could only pray that her friend would return safely the next morning.

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After Ratchet had received the notice of the mission team nearing the warehouse, he had begun to prepare the Autobot berths, in case of any serious injuries or possible casualties. Not long after that he had received a comm from Sideswipe, the younger mech giving Ratchet both good and bad news.

:Ratchet: Sideswipe's urgent voice came across the comm link. The medical officer moved from one of the berths to his computer, pausing in front of it.

:Yes, Sideswipe?: Ratchet replied, tying at the keypad as he began to track the silver mech's location.

:We have Lilly, we are almost at the Air Force base In Colorado: Ratchet's optics widened at hearing this.

:Well, what's the situation?: Ratchet demanded, watching the dot indicating Sideswipe's location move slowly on the screen in front of him.

:She's weak, but alive. Lost a lot of blood. We need you to meet us at the Air Force base by the time we land so you can begin to treat her, the soldiers haven't been able to do much: Ratchet nodded, turning away from the computer.

He began to jog out of the room, concentration across his faceplates as he entered the hangar. Skids and Mudflap were having another argument and Ratchet tried to avoid them, but failed.

"Yo Doc," Skids said, approaching Ratchet. "What's with da rush?"

Ratchet slowed to a walk, his optics narrowing at the smaller mech. "I need to get going, Skids, can you move your aft out of the way?"

Mudflap moved next to his brother, a smirk across his faceplates. "Hey bro, I think ya made the Doc grumpy. Why do ya need ta leave so soon, Doc?" Ratchet growled, his optics narrowing even further. He opened his subspace and took out a wrench threateningly.

"A human's life is on the line, now is _not_ the time to be fooling around! Now moves your afts!" The Twins backed up, holding up their servos nervously.

"S-Sorry Doc, didn't mean ta make ya upset, I–" Mudflap paused as a wrench hit him in the helm, leaving a fresh dent. "Ow!" he cried, collapsing to the ground dramatically. Skids burst out laughing, pointing at his brother.

Ratchet growled, running past the Twins. "For the last time, don't call me Doc!" he yelled over his shoulder. Transforming into his Hummer search and rescue alt form, Ratchet sped out of the hangar, his sirens blaring.

:Sorry about that, Sideswipe. I ran into the Twins, those fraggers are going to get it someday... Anyways, I just left the base, I'll be there by the time you arrive: Ratchet said, easily moving down the road as traffic pulled off to the side.

There was a slight chuckle on the other end. :It's alright. You know how you detected the Allspark earlier?: Sideswipe asked him, and Ratchet nodded to himself.

:Yes, what's the matter? Did you find where it was coming from? Do the Decepticons still have it?: He fired an overwhelming amount of questions at Sideswipe.

:Woah, woah, woah, Ratchet! Stop with the questions! And yeah, we found out where it's coming from, you're not gonna believe it:

:What?: Ratchet urged his comrade.

:It's... it's coming from Lilly: The medic nearly slammed his breaks in shock.

:Primus... but how?: His processor whirred as he tried to think of a way. How was it even possible for a _human_ to have the power of the Allspark?

:I don't know. I have a feeling Lilly will have a lot of things to tell us when she wakes up: Sideswipe replied. Ratchet sighed to himself, merging onto the highway with ease.

:I will see you soon. Please alert me if anything pops up: Ratchet closed the comm link, unable to even begin to process what he had just learned. How had Lilly received the powers of the Allspark? He desperately wanted answers, but something also worried him greatly. The Decepticons must have sensed the Allspark inside of Lilly before she was rescued, making the girl easily trackable and a large target. She was in danger, and there would be no way for him to stop it.

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Ratchet's holoform leaned against his alt form, anxiously running a hand through his hair. He had been waiting for what seemed like hours for the arrival of Lennox, Sideswipe, Lilly, and the soldiers. Every second that went by was a second that could have been spent ensuring Lilly's survival, and every second that was wasted led her further to death.

A loud car horn grabbed his attention and he stood upright, waving to two approaching vehicles as they sped down the road. A silver Corvette Stingray concept was leading the military vehicle behind it, and the two cars came to a halt directly next to the Hummer. Ratchet hurried to the back of the military vehicle and the doors flew open, six soldiers hauling a stretcher out of the back.

Ratchet's lips formed into a hard line as his eyes made contact with Lilly's face, the girl's skin dangerously pale. He helped bring the stretcher into the back of his alt form and climbed in, Lennox following him to assist the medic.

Ratchet drove on a sort of autopilot as he attended Lilly's injuries, keeping one optic on the road and another focused on the girl in front of him. He pulled on what the humans used called "medical gloves" to make sure his holoform didn't become contaminated (although it would be quite simple for him to reset it instead). His bright blue eyes scanned her body multiple times, forming into a deep frown.

Sideswipe had been right, a very strong signature of the Allspark was practically radiating off of Lilly. Their questions had yet to be answered, and this made Ratchet even more concerned. With a sigh, he began to clean and bandage her small cuts and scrapes, Lennox watching silently.

After about ten minutes of observing the medic work on the unconscious girl, Lennox spoke up. "How does she look?" he asked, eyeing the IV Ratchet had placed in her right arm.

Ratchet shook his head as he wrapped a thick bandage around her leg. "She will survive. Yes, she will have scars, and yes, she will most likely be traumatized, but she will live," he said calmly, lifting up her shirt to reveal the large gashes. Both of the men's gazes hardened at the sight of her wounds, and Lennox clenched his fists tightly.

"What the hell did they do to her?" he muttered under his breath. The Major couldn't even begin to imagine if this happened to Annabelle, his two and a half year-old daughter. Ratchet simply sighed, glancing at Lennox as he began to clean the deep wounds.

"We're talking about the Decepticons, what did you expect?" Ratchet said. He opened his mouth to continue, but closed it slowly. "I'm going to need to stitch these," he said, motioning to the three deep gashes. "It looks like they were created by the claws of a Decepticon."

Lennox nodded, turning away as Ratchet gave Lilly novocaine before he began to stitch her sides. He was never a big fan of blood, and watching skin being sewn together didn't sound like his cup of tea at the moment. Ratchet wiped the dried blood from her sides, tightly securing a large bandage wrap around her waist with the help of Lennox.

Once they arrived to the base, Lennox and Ratchet carried out Lilly's stretcher, wheeling her quickly into the Med Bay. They continued to the human section, and the holoform of Jolt ran from the opposite end of a hallway. The blue haired boy glanced at Lilly, an angry expression falling upon his face.

"Jolt," Ratchet said, grabbing his attention. "She needs a transfusion, could you get me an O- blood bag?" he asked hurriedly. Jolt nodded, running down a separate hallway as they brought Lilly into a prepared room for her arrival.

Since Lilly was having difficulty breathing by herself, they placed an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, assisting her weakened lungs. There was a small crack in one of her lower ribs, but Ratchet could not fix it; only time would be able to heal it. Jolt ran in with the blood bag and they hooked it up to the girl, her skin slowly returning to its normal color.

"Hang in there," Ratchet mumbled as he washed the blood off of Lilly's skin. "You're a fighter."

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Optimus and the rest of his team had arrived later in the morning, the sun already having risen. Human and Autobot alike, everyone was exhausted and desperately needed sleep and recharge.

Ratchet approached his fellow Autobots, scanning over their injuries with concern. Bumblebee had a severe limp, Sideswipe was missing a sword, and Ironhide was leaking energon from a large wound in his arm. The medic approached Optimus, glad to see that he was not severely injured.

"How did it go, Optimus?" The red and blue mech looked at him, giving his comrade a small smile.

"It was a success, old friend. Is Lilly–" He began to speak, but Ratchet cut him off.

"She will be fine, Prime. She's a soldier like the rest of us." Optimus smiled at this statement, wiping some energon off of his chest plates.

"She is indeed," the leader replied.

"And Megatron...?" Ratchet asked.

"He escaped, as did Starscream," Optimus said sullenly. Ratchet merely nodded as a response, turning around to find Bumblebee quickly approaching him, despite his bad limp. A mixture of eagerness and worry was across the mech's faceplates, and he stopped in front of Ratchet.

"I need to see Lilly," Bumblebee demanded, and Ratchet rolled his optics at his tone.

"She's fine, she's in the Med Bay, now–"

" _Where_ is she?" Bumblebee demanded again, stepping closer to the medic. "She's my charge, I need to see her _now_!"

Ratchet grumbled as he motioned Bumblebee to follow, the yellow mech limping after him. The two remained silent as they transformed and sent out their holoforms, heading towards the human section of the Med Bay.

Ratchet halted at a door to Lilly's hospital room, looking at the youngling. Bumblebee was staring at the door knob, a hard look in his eyes.

"Ready?" Ratchet asked and Bumblebee took a deep breath, nodding. He slowly opened the door and they both walked inside. Bumblebee's eyes fell onto the bed where Lilly was lying, still unconscious. His spark hummed with happiness as he saw her, knowing that she was alive. She was _alive_! He hurried to the side of her bed, sitting down in the chair next to it.

Ratchet walked to the side, holding his hands behind his back as he watched the boy take in Lilly's appearance. Bumblebee's eyes scanned up and down her body, noticing the numerous bandages covering her. He frowned as his eyes made contact with the IV inserted into her arm, as well as the mask that covered her nose and mouth. Every exhale the clear surface fogged up a little, then disappeared with each inhale.

Bumblebee couldn't wait to speak with her, to hold her in his arms. He smiled softly as he realized that Lilly was home, and she was safe. His eyes moved to stare at Ratchet, who was smiling at the scout and his charge.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Bumblebee asked, his mouth forming into a straight line as he waited for Ratchet's response.

"She has a minor concussion," Ratchet motioned to her head, "but it will only take about a week for it to heal. To add to her injuries, she had three deep gashes on her side, so I stitched those up. She also has a small crack in one of her ribs that will heal on its own." An angry expression came across Bumblebee's face, and his knuckles turned white as he clenched his fist tightly.

"They are going to _pay_ ," Bumblebee growled, staring at Lilly's face in the process. He sighed, his eyes glancing at the medic once more. "When will she wake up?"

"I'm guessing a few days," Ratchet replied and moved closer to the bed. His eyes moved from Bumblebee back to Lilly, his expression unreadable.

Bumblebee nodded and remained silent. He felt so tired, his systems begging for recharge, but he couldn't, not with Lilly so close to him.

"Do you know that she has the Allspark inside of her?" Ratchet asked quietly. Bumblebee looked up to him, their eyes locking.

"Yes, my scanners are picking up a strong signal coming from her. H-How did she get it?" Bumblebee asked, a curious look in his eyes.

"We don't have any answers, I'm afraid Lilly has the only ones. Bumblebee, I wanted to tell you this earlier, but you'll be the first one to know." This caught the youngling's attention, and he looked up, his eyebrows raised in question.

"What is it, Ratchet?" he asked, feeling concerned at the medic's hesitant tone.

"Lilly... She has a spark now." Bumblebee's eyes widened as they fell back onto Lilly, and he shook his head in shock.

"S-She does?" he stuttered.

"Yes, it's where the Allspark signature is coming from," Ratchet replied.

Bumblebee remained still, his eyes fixed on the closed ones of Lilly. "Has she always had a spark?" he asked, and Ratchet shook his head.

"No, I have no answer as to why she has a spark all of a sudden... Let alone the Allspark. I have a feeling that this could only mean something bad is coming," Ratchet said. Bumblebee didn't respond, his eyes still locked onto Lilly.

"Well," Ratchet said, shifting the weight on his feet, "I need some recharge, I have a very busy day ahead of me. You better get some too before I fix your leg tomorrow." Bumblebee groaned at the mention of his leg.

"Ratchet, I'm fine," he said, but the medic shook his head.

"No, you are not fine, you were limping for Primus's sake! How do you expect to protect Lilly with a leg like that?" Ratchet growled, and Bumblebee sighed in defeat. He had a good point, what use was it to travel on his damaged leg?

"Fine," Bumblebee grumbled, his blue eyes glaring at the medic. Ratchet simply chuckled as he walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Bumblebee turned his attention back to Lilly and shook his head in disbelief. He moved his hand close to hers, flinching at how cold it was. Wrapping his fingers around her limp hand, Bumblebee bit his lip nervously. Ratchet had been right. The fact that Lilly had the Allspark could _only_ mean trouble.

"We'll get through this," he whispered, stroking Lilly's face gently. He moved a piece of her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

Bumblebee scooted his chair closer to the edge of the hospital bed. He rested his head on the soft surface, using his arm as a pillow. Quickly drifting off into recharge, Bumblebee's hand still held onto Lilly's, as if afraid to let go.

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 **As I said earlier, not much happened in this chapter. The next one, the action will begin to pick up, with Lilly finally being awake!**

 **Do any of you have predictions? If so, leave a review or PM me, I always love to see what you guys think!**

 **Don't forget to follow this story if you're enjoying this, that way you will be alerted every time I post a new chapter! :)**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	20. Reunited Hearts

**Wow, this is one of my longest chapters! I'm thinking they will now be along this length, I think this is perfect. What do you guys think, should I make the chapters _shorter_ or _longer_?**

 **Thank you for all of the reviews! I love reading them, you guys make me so happy :)**

 **Nina2814: I know, Bee is so adorable! And thank you so much for asking, the trip was a lot of fun! I was just happy to be spending time with my family.**

 **Answerthecall: Thank you very much :) You'll soon find out, things are just about to get good! And I will ;)**

 **Transformerminionkittycat: Yes, she has been gone for a long, long time! And for the jinxing, that totally happens to me ALL of the time! You are not the only one xD Bumblebee is really cute, I love his personality, he is so young and fun, but can be strong and protective if he needs to be. There is a little but of fluff in this chapter, but don't worry, my friend. There will be more ;) Here's the update!**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: You will see in this chapter! Bee is certainly adorable xD Thank you, here's the next update! Thank you for waiting.**

 **There will be a little bit of Bumblebee and Lilly fluff in this chapter! Not a lot, but we are slowly being introduced to it ;) Now, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 19: Reunited Hearts**

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Lilly heard faint whispering as she regained her hearing. Two people were having a conversation nearby, and she was unable to see exactly who they were, for her eyes refused to open. She stirred slightly, letting out a soft groan as she slowly leaned her head to the side.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

What was that sound? She forced her eyes open, blinking a few times to clear the blurriness away from her vision. She was staring at a blank wall, with nothing but a small window making it appear slightly interesting. Lilly's head felt foggy, as if she couldn't clear her mind properly. She was aware of soreness around her lower torso, and her ribs seemed to pop with every breath she took.

With all the strength she could muster, Lilly turned her head to the other side, the pillow making a soft rustling sound as she moved. Her eyes widened as she stared at a heartrate monitor, finally realizing where the annoying sound had been coming from. A green light zigzagged across the screen every two seconds, followed by a soft _beep_. Her eyes moved to a shiny surface, where a bag of clear liquid was suspended in the air by a metal rack. A thin tube was connected to the bottom of the bag, and she followed it to where it was connected to her arm.

Lilly's breathing hitched when she noticed the clear mask upon her face, covering her nose and her mouth. Why was she in a hospital? The last time she checked she was in the Decepticon base, about to be cut open by Scalpel, but then she saw Bumblebee... Wait a minute. She moved her head to the center of the room, where two men were standing close together, whispering quietly. They seemed to not have noticed her awakening, and she tried to recognize who they were.

The man closest to her turned his head, his platinum-blonde hair falling just above his eyebrows. His eyes widened, and he grabbed the other man's arm, motioning to Lilly. "She's awake!" he said excitedly.

The other man, who looked much older than the one next to him, peered from behind, a smile crossing his face. "Lilly," he said softly, stepping around the man as he made his way to the bed. He was wearing a white lab coat, with an Autobot symbol on a pocket.

 _Sideswipe and Ratchet_ , Lilly thought, giving a weak smile to the men in front of her. She tried to reply, but it was muffled by the mask. The two Autobots chuckled, Ratchet moving forward to gently remove the mask from her face.

"H-Hi guys," she croaked. Sideswipe moved next to Ratchet, holding on to one of the sides of the bed.

"It's good to see you again," Sideswipe said, grinning happily at her.

"Primus girl, you had all of us so worried... I'm glad to see you're okay," Ratchet said, his eyes scanning her face.

"H-How long have I b-been out?" Lilly asked, her voice cracking as she hadn't spoken in a long time. She felt very dizzy, but tried to ignore it as she spoke with the medical officer.

"Four days," Ratchet replied, and Lilly made a sort of snorting noise.

"W-What!?" she said. "Four days?" Ratchet simply chuckled at her reaction and nodded his head.

"Yep, it worried Bumblebee and Tori sick," he said. Lilly raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"Tori?" she repeated. "Why is Tori here?" Ratchet turned to face her as he took out her IV, bandaging the place where it had been. Sideswipe watched quietly, keeping his eyes fixed on Lilly.

"Bumblebee found her after the attack at the college, so we brought her here to ask questions, and–"

The door burst open and Tori ran into the room, slamming it shut. She was breathing heavily like she had just run a marathon, and her green eyes were wide with shock. "LILLY!" she almost screamed. She ran to the side of the bed, and she threw her arms around her friend.

"H-Hey Tori, I-" Lilly was cut off as Tori squeezed her tightly, and she squeaked, her sides beginning to tingle with pain. Tori released her, looking back with a guilty expression.

"Oops, sorry," she said, frowning as she spotted the glare on Ratchet's face.

Lilly coughed, clenching her teeth as her ribs ached in pain. "It's fine," she murmured, her eyes moving between the three people in the room. Tori walked over to the bedside table and lifted a vase of flowers, presenting it to Lilly. Lilly's mouth opened in surprise, and she rested it on her stomach as she took hold of the vase.

"Wow, Tori… This is so thoughtful of you!" she said, smelling one of the roses closest to her. Tori grinned happily and handed her a sealed envelope.

Lilly took the envelope and opened it, pulling out a card that said "Get well!" on the front. She smiled softly and flipped it open, her eyes widening as she saw the large amount of signatures inside. It appeared that the entire amount of soldiers at NEST had signed the card, and written at the bottom was "The Autobots wish for you to get well soon!" Tears formed at the corner of Lilly's eyes and she blinked, letting them fall slowly down her cheeks.

Tori frowned at her friend. "Lilly, is there something wrong?" she asked with concern. Lilly merely shook her head, smiling at Tori.

"No… I'm just so grateful to have all of you in my life," she said quietly, looking at Tori, Sideswipe, and Ratchet. Her dizziness wasn't going away, and she put a hand up to her head, trying to stop the pain.

Ratchet glanced worriedly at the girl. "You have a minor concussion, Lilly. That means you cannot do anything strenuous for about a week, you must give your brain a rest," he said. Lilly groaned, finally understanding why her head wasn't feeling that great. "I'm also ordering you on bed rest for a few more days, just to make sure you are recovering properly."

Lilly glared at Ratchet. "Bed rest? Are you kidding me? I haven't been able to do anything the past four days anyway, so why don't you just prevent me from doing anything else, huh?" she said angrily.

Tori bit her lip nervously. "Lilly, it's the best thing for you. You went through a lot, resting will help you out," she said softly.

"She's right, Lilly," Ratchet said. Lilly's mouth formed into a hard line.

"Where's Bumblebee?" she asked.

"He's on a mission right now, he won't be back for three days," Sideswipe replied.

"Is Optimus here? I need to speak with him," Lilly said. "It's really urgent!" she added.

Ratchet nodded, and Tori offered to find the leader. She hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Ratchet coughed, grabbing the girl's attention.

"Lilly, are you aware–"

"Yes I am, Ratchet," she interrupted him. "I know I have the Allspark, I know I have a spark, I just don't know exactly why." Ratchet frowned, expecting that Lilly would have the answers. He looked at Sideswipe, who merely raised his eyebrows.

"Do you know how you received them?" Ratchet asked.

"I fell unconscious back at the base. I had a, well, a sort of _vision_ , and Primus spoke with me," she said, and both of the men widened their blue eyes.

"Primus spoke with _you_?" they both repeated, and Lilly nodded.

"Yeah, it happened when I fell asleep. Anyways, he told me he had been watching me for a long time, and that I wasn't who I thought I was. He also told me that I'm the only one who can save the Autobots," Lilly said, leaning back on her pillow as she began to feel dizzy again. "I asked him how he was expecting me to save you, and he said he was giving me the powers of the Allspark, and that only _I_ held the key for stopping the world from destruction."

Ratchet slowly blinked, completely shocked at what the girl had just said. Sideswipe leaned back and ran a hand through his hair, a curious look upon his face. "Did he say what exactly could destroy your world?" Sideswipe asked gently.

"He told me about something called The Orb of Darkness, and how it could turn an Autobot into a Decepticon. He said that I must warn you guys about it and begin immediately searching for it, although I have no idea where it is. It's my destiny, I guess," she said, and Ratchet brought a hand to his chin in thought.

"That's why there have been numerous Decepticon attacks in the west, it's because they're searching for The Orb!" Ratchet said. "And you can destroy it?"

"I... I guess so," she said quietly. "I have a lot of missing answers from Primus, he didn't tell me much."

"I'm sure you'll find out sooner or later," Ratchet said, but he felt concerned. He and Sideswipe made eye contact for a short moment, before turning their heads to the door as it opened. Three men walked in, and Lilly slowly shifted her gaze to the tallest one as he walked towards her. His dark hair was short and brushed to the side, a soft smile upon his face as he looked down at Lilly.

"I am very glad to see that you are alright," Optimus said, stopping at the foot of her bed. "Now, Tori said that you wish to speak with me?" Lilly nodded, and began to tell the same story she had just told Ratchet and Sideswipe, everyone listening intently to what the girl had to say.

"Hm," Optimus mumbled once Lilly had finished her final sentence. "I am afraid Primus is right. I have been thinking something has been hidden on the planet, but I would have never guessed The Orb of Darkness," he said calmly.

"Optimus, that's why the Decepticons have been attacking in the west, it _has_ to be hidden there," Ratchet said eagerly. The Prime only nodded, glancing out the window for a brief second before he made eye contact with Lennox, who was beside him.

"Major, I want you to warn your men about this Cybertronian artifact. We must be prepared to search for it, but I want to wait until Lilly is stronger before we begin," Optimus said. Lennox nodded, smiling at Lilly before he hurried out of the room.

"O-Optimus," Lilly stuttered, "you're not going to search for The Orb right now?" The Prime shook his head.

"No, I am sure it is well hidden if the Decepticons have not found it. We Autobots cannot detect The Orb, for it is made of dark energy, a substance only Decepticons can track. Primus will tell you when it is time to search for it, I am sure of it. He must want you to be ready to destroy it."

Lilly was surprised with how confident Optimus was, how he was not the least bit afraid of this powerful orb that could destroy _her_ planet. But, she trusted the Autobot leader, knowing that his time on Cybertron made him the most experienced out of all of them.

"Well, Lilly should get some sleep, so please leave the room," Ratchet said gruffly. Sideswipe, Optimus, and a few other soldiers walked out of the room, muttering goodbyes to Lilly. Ratchet turned around, giving Lilly a small smile.

"Now you get some rest," he said, and walked towards the exit. Despite all of the things that were on her mind, Lilly quickly drifted off to sleep, exhaustion getting the best of her.

 **––––––––––**

Lilly and Tori were in the hospital room, laughing as they told each other jokes. It was the last day Lilly would be spending in the Med Bay, she would finally be free from Ratchet's daily check-ups and visits during her stay in the Med Bay. He was still very fascinated by her spark, although it didn't bother the girl much that she had a Cybertronian life source keeping her alive.

During the few days Lilly was on bed rest, she rapidly gained back her strength. Sleeping away most of the days, her injuries were healing well, and Ratchet was impressed with her overall body improvement. The girl's concussion was almost gone, her wounds had began to scab over, and her rib was feeling a lot less sore since the day she had woken up.

When Tori wasn't busy, she was by Lilly's side. Bumblebee had not yet returned from his mission, and Lilly asked the Autobots to keep it a surprise that she had awoken. The two girls found ways to entertain themselves when Lilly was not sleeping, despite her pesky concussion.

It had been the first day since Lilly was off of bed rest, and she and Tori immediately headed to the courtyard once they had breakfast. Lilly had lied on the grass for quite some time, enjoying the sun as it warmed her skin. After lunch, the two girls spent most of their time talking to soldiers and Autobots, catching up on what had happened while Lilly was gone. Lilly was anxious for Bumblebee to return, but she kept her emotions well hidden as she enjoyed the day with one of her closest friends.

"So," Tori said, leaning back in the chair as Lilly sat on the medical bed. "I was thinking, maybe we could go shopping soon. I told you we would go at college, but…" She trailed off, her eyes flickering around the room sadly.

"Sounds like fun!" Lilly said cheerfully, trying to brighten the mood. "Just once I'm feeling a bit better." Tori nodded in agreement.

"I forgot to ask, what did your parents say about being kidnapped and all?" she asked.

"They were really worried, but I told them I would be safe at the base. Mom insisted that they would drive here, but I told her she couldn't come. It's too dangerous for them to be here," Lilly said, making eye contact with Tori.

"I understand. My parents didn't really mind about me staying here, I'm not that close to them anyway," Tori said, shrugging her shoulders.

Lilly didn't respond. Instead, she stared at the ground, a blank expression across her face. Tori looked up at her friend. "What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Sometimes… I think it's my fault that those students died. If I hadn't gone to college, they would still be alive… I should have realized how risky it would be for me to go there, the Decepticons will always be hunting me down," Lilly said, tears coming to her eyes.

Tori stood upright, making Lilly lean back in shock. "No!" she yelled. "The attack was not your fault, Lilly! You can't blame a single bit of it, it was the Decepticon's fault entirely! You were only living your life like everyone is supposed to do, you can't blame it on yourself," she said, her voice softening towards the end.

Lilly nodded, frowning as she did so. Despite how comforting Tori's words were, Lilly would never take the fault of the attack at the college fully off of her shoulders. "I shouldn't go back," she muttered.

Tori walked in front of her friend, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You need to, I can't go back alone, we're roommates, remember? And I'm sure one of the Autobots will come this time, so there won't be another attack."

Lilly shook her head. "Just because an Autobot is there doesn't mean there won't be an attack. In fact, having both of us there would probably attract the Decepticons rather than keep them away," she sighed, looking at her friend sadly. Tori remained silent, her green eyes gazing into Lilly's blue ones.

"Something big is going to happen. I told you this, but Primus gave me powers for a reason, he wants me to destroy something. I feel like I'm going to be caught in the middle of a battle all over again… And there's a chance I could get killed," she said, watching Tori's expression soften. A smile crossed her face, and she gave Lilly's shoulder a squeeze.

"Then I will be right in the middle of the battle with you. I promise, you won't be alone," Tori said. Lilly found herself at a loss of words, and she pulled her friend into a hug.

"Thank you, Tori," she mumbled into her shoulder, closing her eyes. Tori simply nodded her head, the silence speaking louder than words. They pulled apart, grinning happily at each other.

"Well, I'm going to get to bed," Tori said, walking towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye!" Lilly called, waving to her friend as she exited the room. She stood up from the bed, smoothing out her t-shirt and pulling her sweatpants higher onto her waist. She walked to the small window, staring at the bright city illuminated by lights. Placing a hand on the window sill, Lilly moved closer, watching the cars below and wondering where Bumblebee was. Had he returned from the mission yet, or did something go wrong?

Lilly didn't know how long she was there, in the same spot, watching the sparkling lights of the city. How was it possible that all of those people in the streets knew nothing about the Transformers, and that their planet was in danger? Let alone she was the only being that could put an end to the tool of destruction. She sighed deeply, and shook her head to clear her thoughts.

There was a small knock that startled her, and she called, "Come in!" without turning to look who it was. The door creaked open, and the sound of footsteps echoed off of the walls, but soon was silenced. The person was watching her, and the eerie presence of them gave her goosebumps.

Lilly turned around, her long, brown hair flowing through the air as it gently hit her back. Her mouth fell open as her eyes made contact with bright blue ones, belonging to a blonde boy her age. He was frozen in place, staring wide-eyed at the girl in front of him. The two didn't move for what seemed like minutes, standing frozen in shock as they eyed the person across the room.

"Bumblebee?" Lilly whispered, finally realizing that he was there, that she was truly safe.

"Lilly?" Bumblebee said gently, the corners of his lips slowly forming into a smile.

Lilly choked back a sob and ran towards the boy, tears pouring down her face. He opened his arms and she lept into them, collapsing into his chest as she cried uncontrollably. Bumblebee pulled her even closer to him, burying his face in her hair as his arms wrapped around her back. He had been afraid he would never be able to hug her again, to talk to her again... But here she was, safe, alive.

"It's okay, I'm here, shhhh," Bumblebee soothed as he pulled the trembling girl even closer. "Calm down, you're alright," he whispered to her, closing his eyes as he focused on the moment as if it could last forever.

"Bee... I was s-so scared, I t-thought I would n-never see you again," Lilly cried, her face against his chest. The feeling of being in his arms made it seem like the world was free of problems, violence, and even death.

"I was terrified, Lilly. The fact that I didn't know what they were doing to you made me scared. I knew it would be so easy for them to kill you, and I was so afraid that they would," he said softly, stroking her hair. He pulled back so he could look in her eyes, their faces only inches apart. If only he could kiss her… But he couldn't, not when she was so upset.

"I'm so sorry, Lilly. I promised you that you would be safe at college, but I was wrong," he whispered, putting a hand to her face. Tears continued to fall down her cheeks, but she smiled at him.

"It's not your fault at all, Bee. I will never be mad at you for breaking a promise like that if it wasn't your fault." He merely nodded.

"Ratchet told me about the warning that Primus told you," he said, changing the topic of the conversation. Their arms still remained wrapped around each other, and Lilly moved closer, leaning her head against his strong chest. She felt the warmth of the holoform underneath his shirt, heard the steady beat of his spark... He felt so _real_.

"Yeah, I guess it's my destiny to destroy the Orb. I just don't know how," she mumbled, closing her eyes tiredly.

"You have the Allspark inside of you, did Primus give you that?" he asked quietly.

"He did, he said I alone can save the planet. I also have a spark, but I have no idea as to why I have it right now. I don't _feel_ any different."

"Maybe, maybe it's only just the beginning?" Bumblebee asked, as he led them over to the hospital bed.

"The beginning?" Lilly repeated.

"Yeah, like you might be changing over time. You'll slowly get your powers once you recover from your injuries," Bumblebee said, shrugging at his idea.

"But why would I need a spark if Primus is just giving me powers?" Lilly asked curiously.

"I don't know, maybe because the Allspark isn't exactly human..." he trailed off, his spark quickening with excitement at being so close to the girl he loved.

"You could be right… Hopefully Primus will talk to me soon and answer my questions," Lilly muttered quietly, yawning as she sat down next to Bumblebee.

The boy looked at Lilly with concern, spotting a bandage at the bottom of Lilly's shirt. He lifted it up slowly to reveal the entire bandage, his eyes widening as he saw how large it was.

"What did they do to you?" he asked, gently putting a hand over the rough surface. Lilly expected it to be painful, but the contact made her feel safer than she had been in a while.

"Decepticons like to squeeze humans," Lilly joked, but Bumblebee didn't laugh. His eyes darkened in anger as he grit his teeth.

"I am going to kill them all," he muttered, and Lilly merely stared at him. "They're going to pay for what they did to you!"

"I wish I could kill them too, but I can't," Lilly said, chuckling. "So, I'll let you do the favor." Bumblebee let the shirt fall to its normal position, and looked at her eyes. They were so beautiful, a deep, ocean blue that always glistened when she smiled.

"How is your concussion?" he asked, moving his eyes to her head.

"It's better, Ratchet told me it's almost gone. I haven't had any headaches today, so that's an improvement. I guess all the sleeping during bed rest helped it heal quicker," Lilly said, smiling brightly at Bumblebee.

"Speaking of bed," Bumblebee said, standing up and folding over the sheets. "I think it's time for you to go to sleep." Lilly simply nodded, and slipped under the sheets as he pulled them towards her chin, tucking her in like a small child.

Lilly's eyes were already drooping as she smiled tiredly. "Thanks, Bee," she muttered. He smiled widely at her, and made his way for the door, but Lilly called his name. Bumblebee halted, turning to look at the girl.

"Stay with me?" she asked, sitting up even though it was painful. Her eyes were staring intently at him.

"Okay," he said softly, and she scooted to the side of her small bed as he made his way over. He lied down in the space she had provided, and Lilly moved closer to him. She rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes as she snuggled close to him. Bumblebee wrapped an arm around her while the other rested on her back, holding the small girl in his arms. By the time he went to say "Goodnight", Lilly was already asleep.

He chuckled, resting his head against hers. "See you in the morning," he whispered, quickly falling into recharge.

 **––––––––––**

 **Who loves Bumblebee and Lilly? *Raises hand* I hope you guys liked this chapter, I spent a lot of time editing it! Things are going to start picking up, and we will find out more about Lilly's powers soon! Like I said, I love to read your guys' predictions!**

 **You guys are all amazing. Thank you to everyone who checks every update, you really help this story grow! Don't forget to follow, it really helps me make the story better and show more people my work!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	21. Not A Chapter

**Author's Note/Life Update**

Hello, my readers! As you can tell by the title, this is not an actual chapter, more like an update on my life and such.

First of all, how are your summers going? And to those who don't live in the US, how is school going/college going/life going? I love to hear from you all, interacting with others really makes me happy! If you do live in the US, school will be starting soon *cries* and this year will be a very busy and stressful year with me. So, that means less frequent updates (I'm really sorry!) but I hope to finish this story by the time school starts so I don't leave you guys hanging.

I am planning on writing more stories, as well as a sequel and a prequel to this story! I am looking forward to writing more on here, you guys (my readers) are awesome! Also, if anyone is looking for someone to collab with, please don't hesitate to PM me. I would really enjoy creating a story with someone else, it will help me as a writer!

So, with the summer ending, I will be getting a lot busier. Please don't get mad at my less frequent updates, I really wish I had time to write every day, but sadly I don't! I guess that's the reality of life ;)

As for my story, I am in no way a Transformers expert. If I get any terminology wrong, please let me know in a review! I basically know everything from other fanfictions, so my knowledge isn't that broad. Like I have said, I have only recently fallen in love with Transformers (haha), so we can just say that I'm a beginner xD If anything doesn't make sense in my story, please let me know and I will explain/fix it. I want the best possible experience for my readers, and the feedback you guys give me really helps me out.

I also have recently published a new Transformers story, called "Fix Your Heart". I like it so far, so it would be great if you guys could check it out!

I hope you all have an amazing day/night. Thank you for reading this little Author's Note/update, it really means a lot to me!

FYI: I have a new bio, so feel free to check that out.

– SapphireSpark


	22. Colors of the Night

**This chapter contains quite a lot of fluff! We begin to see hints of the Orb of Darkness (hopefully you guys can tell) that will lead into the main plot!**

 **Thank you for all of your reviews, you guys always make me smile.**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mucho: I'm glad you enjoy Lilly and Bee as well. And for your guess, that is not quite the answer, but we will get to that in the future! I'm also happy you were excited for the update, here is the next one! Enjoy, my friend! :)**

 **Transformerminionkittycat: They are pretty cute, aren't they? xD And yes, Bee is very protective of Lilly (why wouldn't he be?) The Decepticons are a lot worse than villains in a ton of movies, they are simply pure evil :/ Tori and Lilly are really close, of course they will be by each others side! As for Ratchet and Tori, they won't have any sort of bond, although Ratchet acts like a dad to Tori, and helps guide her. Tori will actually have a different guardian! *winks* You will find out in this chapter.**

 **Answerthecall: Thank you very much! And as for the collab, haha... I guess no one wanted to do one with me xD That's alright, I will wait a little while longer to ask again. And if someday you aren't busy with stories, I would love to do a collab with you! :)**

 **Nina2814: Oh, please do tell me your idea! You can PM me, I promise you won't sound crazy!**

 **Blackwidow7777: I know, they really are ^-^ Here's the update, enjoy!**

 **Now, onwards with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

 **––––––––––**

 **Chapter 20: Colors of the Night**

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 _Footsteps echoed down a long, dark corridor. Lilly was moving quickly to the end, a door the only way to exit the place she was trapped inside. She blinked to clear her vision, trying to see better in the pitch black, although it was no use. A faint glow was coming from under the door, and it intrigued her._

 _She reached for the door knob, the cold, round surface bringing her to her senses as she touched it. Slowly turning it, she pulled it open to find a large, dark room. It was almost like a cavern, and she walked forwards, her shoes touching a gravel-like surface._

 _A soft light was coming from deeper inside the cave, and a force inside of her was pulling her towards it like a magnet. Something about the air in this place was different, making the hairs on her neck stand on end. She continued through the cave, her eyes moving back and forth for any signs of danger. She was nearing the light, she was almost there, just one more corner…_

 _BOOM!_

 _The cave shook, and she stumbled, falling onto the hard ground. Turning around, her eyes widened as she saw crimson red optics staring at her through the dark. Something about them felt so familiar, but she didn't know what it was. A bright light shined from the mech's chest, and she closed her eyes, putting a hand up to avoid the light. When she opened her eyes, her surroundings had completely changed. They were now in a rectangular, brightly lit room, the mech still standing over her._

 _Letting out a loud gasp, Lilly whimpered as she took in the robot in front of her. His body shape was exactly like Bumblebee's down to the smallest screws on his metal plating. The only thing that was different about him was that his armor was fully black, containing a small amount of yellow detailing. The unforgiving, red optics that belonged to him made her shudder._

" _Bee," she whispered nervously, "what's going on?" The mech stared at her, his body still._

" _It's your fault," he said without emotion, and Lilly frowned in confusion._

" _What do you mean? Bee, please tell me what is going on!" Lilly cried, standing up weakly. Suddenly, Decepticons appeared from behind her, gathering around in a circle. Bumblebee continued to stare at her, his optics tearing into her soul. The Decepticons were all smirking at the helpless girl, their cannons crackling to life._

 _Bumblebee ignored her question, turning as a large, silver mech approached. The black mech bowed. "Lord Megatron," he said, acknowledging the Decepticon leader._

" _Bumblebee," Megatron said, putting a hand on the mech's shoulder. Lilly's mouth fell open, and she shrunk to the ground in fear. "I want you to exterminate the girl."_

 _The Autobot she had known as her Guardian moved his gaze back to Lilly, letting out a deep, eerie laugh. "With pleasure, my lord." Lilly screamed in fear as his cannon charged, pointing it directly to the girl._

" _No Bee, you can't! What's wrong with you!" she shrieked, tears falling down her cheeks. A bright light and unforgivable pain overcame her, and the world falling into darkness once more._

Lilly shot up in bed, breathing heavily. Her body was covered in sweat, and she began to shake as she realized what had happened in the nightmare. Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, she brought her head to her chest, holding back tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" a voice said, and she turned to find Bumblebee's holoform lying next to her, his eyes filled with worry and concern. Her spark jumped, and she shrieked, moving back in fright. Her hand slipped off the bed, and her body went to follow, but Bumblebee caught her, hauling her back onto the mattress.

He looked at Lilly, his eyes searching her face. She bit her lip nervously, breaking the eye contact as she looked away. He noticed this small gesture, and could tell that something terrible had haunted her in her sleep.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, and tilted her chin towards him, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Are you going to… hurt me?" she murmered, and Bumblebee leaned back in shock.

"Hurt you? Why would I _ever_ hurt you, Lilly?" he replied, shaking his head in confusion.

"You… You killed me in my nightmare," she whispered, her eyes closing as a single tear fell down her cheek.

"Oh no," he said, and wrapped his arms around her body. He pulled the trembling girl closer, and leaned his head against hers. "Do you want to talk about it?" She sighed, holding back more tears as she explained her nightmare to Bumblebee.

"I… I was walking down this dark hallway towards a door. I was able to open it, and it led me to this sort of cave, where there was this glowing light that made me really interested. I was so close to reaching it, but then the ground shook, and a mech with red eyes was staring at me. We teleported to this room, and…" she squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling even more. Bumblebee frowned, wiping away one of the tears that had slid down her cheeks.

"The mech turned out to be you. But it wasn't you, you were all black with a little bit of yellow, and red optics. More Decepticons appeared, and I was trapped. Megatron talked to you, and told you to kill me. You… You listened to him, and shot me with your cannon," she cried, leaning into Bumblebee's embrace. The youngling sat there, completely speechless.

He pulled her closer to him, stroking her hair gently. "I'm sorry you had that nightmare," Bumblebee said quietly.

"It's not your fault, I've been having them for years now. But this one… was so _different_. Normally mine are about losing you, not you killing me," she muttered.

"Do you think this could be another vision?" Bumblebee asked thoughtfully.

Lilly looked up at him. "Another vision?"

"Yeah, like that dream you had about the burning buildings. Maybe you are… predicting the future?" Bumblebee replied, his mouth forming into a frown.

Lilly shook her head. "I don't know. That cave was really strange, I don't know why I was so intrigued with that light. I mean, you were a Decepticon, how is that possible?" She gasped as she remembered her conversation with Primus. "Oh no… The Orb of Darkness has the power to turn an Autobot into a Decepticon," she whispered.

"Hey," Bumblebee said, tilting her chin to look at her. "I'll be safe around The Orb. None of us will turn into a Decepticon," he promised, giving her a hopeful smile.

Lilly nodded, her eyes locked onto his. "I hope you're right Bee," she whispered, and shook her head in frustration.

The two sat in silence, many thoughts crossing their minds. Lilly let out a deep sigh, and pulled herself closer to Bumblebee. If only she could forget her nightmares, forget the events of the past that haunted her mind...

Bumblebee glanced at the clock, which read 8:02 am. "Time for breakfast?" he asked, and Lilly nodded in agreement. She slipped off the bed, stretching her arms and legs. Bringing a hand to her waist, she lifted up her shirt, revealing the large bandage that still remained wrapped around her torso. It was the only injury that had been healing slowly, and she wondered why it had been taking so long.

She pulled her light brown hair into a high ponytail, smiling as Bumblebee got up from the bed himself. He walked over to Lilly, a smile crossing his face as he noticed her own.

"I finally don't have to sleep here anymore! I can live in the human quarters now," she said happily, and Bumblebee chuckled.

"You know, Ratchet still won't stop bothering you until all of your injuries heal," he said. Lilly rolled her eyes, smirking.

"Not if I can avoid him!" she said playfully, poking Bumblebee in the ribs.

"Not if you can avoid who?" a voice said, and the door swung open. Bumblebee and Lilly froze as Ratchet entered, his eyebrows raised.

"I was talking about Ironhide… You know, he, er, wants to show me his cannons," Lilly lied, smiling sheepishly at the medical officer. Ratchet stared at her for a few moments before shaking his head, and moved his eyes to Bumblebee, who was standing close to Lilly as if he wasn't there.

"And why are you here, Bumblebee?" Ratchet asked, and both Lilly and Bumblebee blushed faintly.

"Uh, I came in here earlier because Lilly was having another nightmare," he replied, and Ratchet eyed him suspiciously. He knew the youngling was hiding something, but decided not to push him, for he had better things to worry about. Turning back to the girl, he raised an eyebrow at her.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm okay, still a little sore, and my head is feeling better than it did yesterday," she replied, rubbing her arms absentmindedly. She always did it when she was nervous, it had been a habit of hers ever since she was a young girl.

"Good," Ratchet said. "I want you to take it easy for today, don't do anything too harsh on your body."

Lilly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know, you don't have to give me that speech a thousand times," she teased. Ratchet simply glared at her, grabbing a nearby wrench. Bumblebee jumped in front of her, pulling Lilly behind his holoform.

"Please, for the love of Primus, put the wrench down. You're starting to live up to your nickname again, Hatchet," the youngling said. Ratchet growled threateningly, but placed the wrench back down on a table.

"Tori is looking for you, Lilly. She is in the cafeteria right now," he said, motioning towards the door.

"Alright," Lilly said, stepping out from behind Bumblebee. "Thanks, Ratchet!" she called, pulling the door open as Bumblebee followed. They walked down the hallway side-by-side, waving to soldiers as they passed by. As they entered the cafeteria, Lilly tried to ignore the large amount of stares she received because of the bruises and bandages covering her body. Instead, she focused her attention on a girl sitting at a table in the corner, eating a bowl of cereal quietly.

"Tori!" Lilly called, and the girl turned around and waved excitedly. Bumblebee and Lilly approached her, and sat down at the table.

"Hey Lils! I guess Bee came back?" She motioned to the blonde-haired boy next to her. Lilly looked at him and grinned happily.

"Yep, he came to say hello last night," she said. Tori's eyes flickered between Lilly and Bumblebee, a mischievous look appearing in her eyes. Lilly caught the look and raised her eyebrows, but Tori ignored her.

"Jolt told me about him being your guardian and all, that's pretty cool!" Tori said, taking a bite of her cereal. Her eyes brightened, and she quickly swallowed. "Oh! Guess what?"

"What?" both Lilly and Bumblebee asked.

"Optimus assigned me a guardian!" she said, grinning. Lilly's mouth fell open. Besides her and Lennox, she never thought any other human would be assigned a guardian.

"Are you serious? Who?" Lilly replied, smiling at her friend's happiness.

"Jolt," Tori said. "Besides Ratchet, he is one of the only Autobots I have spoken to a lot. But I'm kind of scared, I hope he wasn't forced to do this. Ratchet told me it's a lot of work to be a guardian of a human."

Bumblebee spoke up, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sure Jolt is happy to be your guardian. You'll both share a special bond, and he'll take the role of being… a parent, I guess. He'll be there to protect you and make sure nothing harms you, as well as be there as a friend. Lilly and I grew very close through our bond even though we are from different planets," he said softly. Lilly grinned, and Tori smiled, nodding.

"I could tell how close you two were when I met you. I look forward to growing close to Jolt as well, even though he isn't a human. It will be… different, I suppose." She laughed, and Bumblebee and Lilly joined in.

Once they were finished with breakfast, the three went to the Autobot hangar, where Bumblebee let his holoform disappear. A yellow Camaro transformed nearby, and Bumblebee knelt down to talk to Lilly and Tori easier. Jolt was in a conversation with Ratchet, and he glanced over at Tori for a moment before continuing to talk to the medical officer. A few minutes later the blue mech walked over, smiling at his new charge as he knelt next to Bumblebee.

"Hey guys," he said, offering Tori a servo to climb on. Bumblebee did the same to Tori, and the two mechs lifted the girls onto their shoulders.

"So, what should we do today?" Lilly asked.

"You'll see," Tori said, grinning mysteriously at the two in front of her. She and Jolt moved towards the courtyard, and Lilly looked to Bumblebee to see what what was going on. He merely shrugged, and followed Jolt and Tori to the outside world, where a surprise was waiting.

 **––––––––––**

Lilly leaned back in the soft, leather seat of Bumblebee's interior. The black sky was filled with bright stars, and the weather was the perfect temperature for night time. She smiled as the cool breeze from the open window hit her face, allowing her body to relax.

Bumblebee had told Lilly he wanted to bring her to a cool place he had found, although he refused to tell her the location it was at. They were traveling through a dirt path in the woods, and Lilly looked curiously out of the window as she wondered where they were.

"How did you find this place that we are going to?" Lilly asked, glancing at the radio.

Bumblebee replied, his voice a lot louder and more projected than it normally was when he spoke with his holoform. "I did some adventuring when you were at college. I found this really interesting location and made a mental note in my processor to bring you here the next time you came to visit."

Lilly opened her mouth to reply but stopped when they reached a clearing. They were on the top of a grassy hill, and there was a large tree that had an old, wooden swing attached to a branch. The city of Washington D.C. was easily visible, the lights twinkling from all of the tall buildings and houses.

"Wow," Lilly breathed, her mouth falling open in wonder. "Bee, this place is incredible!" He stopped near the tree, and Lilly stepped out of the Camaro, her eyes watching the city below. Bumblebee sent out his holoform, and ran to walk beside Lilly, who was heading towards the crest of the hill.

"I wish I could transform here, but it's too risky," Bumblebee said. She smiled at him.

"That's alright. How about we sit here?" she asked, pointing to a place where the ground began to slope.

"Perfect," Bumblebee grinned, sitting down next to the girl. They watched the city and night sky quietly, enjoying each other's presence.

"So," Bumblebee said, breaking the silence. "Did you have a good day?" Lilly turned her head to face him, a smile illuminating her face.

"Yeah," she laughed, "the games outside were a lot of fun. I can't believe all of the soldiers were willing to participate in them in order to celebrate the last day I was staying in the Med Bay. Tori is awesome for putting it together."

Bumblebee grinned. "She's a pretty great friend," he said softly.

"Mm-hm," Lilly mumbled in agreement. She shifted so she was closer to Bumblebee, and leaned her head on his shoulder. "So," she began, smirking playfully at him. "Did you have anyone special back on Cybertron?" She had meant to ask this question a while ago, but she felt that it was kind of awkward to ask at the time.

Bumblebee looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Anyone special?" he repeated.

Lilly giggled. "Yeah, like a girlfriend or someone you liked. I don't know what you guys called them," she said.

"Oh, you mean sparkmates? No, during the war, we didn't have time to worry about finding, er, girlfriends. It would be too dangerous to raise a sparkling, so we avoided finding mates," he replied.

"That sounds awful," Lilly said, frowning. "Anyways, I get what you mean. I'm eighteen and have never had a boyfriend."

Bumblebee's eyes widened. "Really? I would think a girl like you would have had a million by now," he said, giving a small smile. Lilly's sparked thrummed happily at Bumblebee's compliment, and a soft blush appeared on her face.

"Nope, never have had even a single one," she said, making eye contact with Bumblebee.

"Why are you blushing?" he asked, smirking. This made her blush deepen, and she squirmed uncomfortably.

"Because of what you said earlier," she said, looking away.

"Hey, it's not my fault you're not a bad looking femme," Bumblebee muttered, and Lilly's face got even darker. She didn't respond, knowing if she met his eyes she would be extremely embarrassed because of her blushing.

"There's something different about you," Bumblebee continued, and when Lilly looked up she noticed a soft blue tint on his holoforms cheeks. "This has never happened before, but my spark feels strange whenever it's around you… It's hard to explain," he muttered, looking away nervously.

Lilly looked at him, her eyes brightening with happiness. Did Bumblebee just admit that he… _liked_ her?

"It's just, my spark has never acted liked this around someone before, you're in my processor all the time, I just don't know…" he said, scratching his head. The blue tint was more visible, and his eyes went back to Lilly's face, surprised to find a soft smile upon it.

"Thank you," she said, and Bumblebee felt confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Thank you… for saving me from the Decepticons. I was so terrified, but I knew in my heart you were going to find me. So, I thank you," she said softly.

"Lilly, I would never stop searching for you even if you weren't there, I–" he froze as Lilly leaned closer to him, placing her lips onto his. She expected him to pull away, but instead, Bumblebee pulled her closer, kissing her back as he wrapped his arms around her waist. It wasn't a huge kiss, just a simple contact of the lips, but both of them felt something special stir inside of them. Their sparks were racing, and a deep blush crept onto both of their cheeks. Before they could pull away, there was a loud hissing sound, followed by the boom of a shotgun.

The two of them jumped, and watched as a group of fireworks appeared in the middle of the city. They stared in wonder as the display of colors filled the night sky, and Lilly smiled as she watched Bumblebee's eyes open in amazement.

"Fireworks," he mumbled, and she chuckled. Bumblebee looked at her and smiled, leaning his forehead to hers. "I can't believe it," he said, and Lilly raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" Lilly asked.

"I like a human with a _spark_. Strange, huh?" he murmured, smiling softly at her. Lilly laughed, snuggling close to him.

"I like an alien, I think that's even stranger," she replied. Bumblebee nodded his head.

"Fair enough," he said, glancing back at the fireworks. Lilly chuckled, reaching across Bumblebee to take his hand. Her spark was still racing, and when she grabbed it Bumblebee interlaced his fingers with her own.

"What were you saying before I, um, interrupted you?" Lilly asked softly. Bumblebee looked down to her, then back to the city.

"I was saying, that I can't live without you. You are the being I care most about in my life," he said, blushing deeply. Lilly's mouth opened, and her eyes searched his handsome face, locking onto his bright, blue eyes.

"Bee, you know I'm human, right? I won't live as long as you will," she said quietly, frowning. He looked down to her, cupping her face with a hand.

"Then I'll make sure to spend every second of your life with you," he muttered, and Lilly leaned in to kiss him once more. The mech's spark was racing with excitement, a possessive feeling taking over him. Lilly was hers, and no one else would be able to take her away from him. The girl he had grown to love had finally admitted that she had feelings for him, making his spark flutter with happiness. As he pressed his lips softly against hers, he brought her even closer to his holoform's body.

When they parted, there were wide smiles upon their faces, and sat in silence as they watched the beautiful show of the night. It was the start of a new chapter in their lives, and they would finally be able to share it together.

 **––––––––––**

 **Yay they FINALLY kissed! Things are just starting to get good! And for anyone who is wondering why things picked up with the two of them really fast, it's because they have known each other for two years. I am not rushing their relationship, I just wanted to point out that they have known each other for a while.**

 **I am SUPER excited to share the next chapter with you guys, it's gonna be awesome! There will be a surprise and more, I seriously can't wait!**

 **Big news: I am writing a new story! I still need to figure out the whole plot, but I have a few characters and I am very excited to post the first chapter. It will probably be ready in a week, so be sure to follow me to see when that is posted! Who is excited and plans to read it? :P**

 **Thank you for reading this far, everyone! It has been an incredible journey for me as an author, and your reviews really help me! So, thank you :)**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	23. A New Discovery

**Hello, my viewers! I can't believe we are already on Chapter 21, this story is progressing so much! I'm very happy with it so far, are you guys liking it? Anyways, with school approaching in a week and a half, the updates will be much less frequent. I'm really sorry about this, but make sure to follow this story so you know when I do update it! Now, onto the reviews!**

 **Answerthecall: Yes, they did! And thank you very much, hopefully we can collab sometime in the future.**

 **Nina2814: They sure did, haha! I love your guesses, you are definitely on the right track! Thank you for the lovely review. :)**

 **Transformerminionkittycat: YAY THEY DID KISS WOO HOO! Your reviews always put a huge smile on my face, you are such a sweet girl! And as for everyone's reactions, you will see in the future... But the action will pick up before we have a chance to see those reactions... Mwhahahaha! For Lilly living as long as Bee, we will see! Thank you for waiting, here is the update!**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: I do agree about Jolt, he isn't in a lot of stories! Yay, they did finally kiss! Adorable, right? xD Thank you so much, here is the update! :)**

 **saiyan angel blue: Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it! Aw, you're right, he could look like Paul Walker! :( Sorry you got upset, but here is the update you've been waiting for!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 21: A New Discovery**

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Lilly jogged excitedly down the hallway to the human quarters, making sure to remain quiet as it was 11:00 at night. After she turned a few corners, she slowed when she neared a door to Tori's room. Knocking lightly on it, she heard a slight groan on the other side, and heavy footsteps thumped across the floor as the person neared the door. A lock clicked, and it swung open, revealing Tori in pajamas. Her hair was messy, and she yawned widely.

"Thank you for disturbing my sleep," she said, giving a mock glare to Lilly. "What's up?"

"Can I come in?" Lilly asked, and Tori nodded, stepping back to allow more room for her friend to walk by. Lilly sat on Tori's bed, patting to a spot next to her. Tori sat down, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she turned to face Lilly.

"You're obviously here for reason, so spill everything out," Tori grinned, despite how tired her body felt. Her bright green eyes watched Lilly intently, waiting for an answer.

"Well, Bee took me to this really cool place tonight," Lilly began, a small smile crossing her lips.

"Oh! Where did he take you?" Tori asked eagerly.

"I'm not sure exactly where it is, but it was this big hill with a beautiful view of the city. We sat down and were silent for a bit, and then I asked him if he had anyone special on Cybertron. You know, like a girlfriend," Lilly said. Tori nodded her head, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Did he have one?" Tori questioned.

"Um, no, because of the war. You know, because it would be too dangerous to have kids and stuff, so they didn't bother to find girlfriends," Lilly muttered quietly. Tori frowned, a sad look falling upon her.

"That's terrible," she whispered, and Lilly nodded in agreement.

"So, I said I understood because I've never had a boyfriend before." Tori's mouth fell open in shock.

"You've _never_ had a boyfriend before?" she repeated, and Lilly chuckled.

"Nope, never. Anyways, Bee told me he was surprised, and that he thought I would have had a million by now," Lilly said, shaking her head to herself as she laughed.

"Awwwww!" Tori said, her lips curling into a smile. "A million? That's a little too much," she said, letting out a laugh.

"That's Bee for you, he doesn't know too much about our way of joking," Lilly said. "I started to blush, and he asked why, and I told him it was because of what he said. Then, he said he thought I was, well, good looking–" Tori squealed at this, "–and I way too embarrassed to respond. And he said that there was something different about me, and that he couldn't get me off of his mind." Lilly glanced at the floor, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks.

"What happened next?" Tori urged, grinning at the redness across Lilly's face.

"Well, I thanked him for saving me. It wasn't really perfect timing, but I wanted him to known how much I appreciated it. He started talking again, but I wasn't really listening to him. I–" she paused, hiding her face in her hands because of the blush. "I kissed him."

Tori practically screamed, and Lilly's hand flew over her mouth to prevent her from waking up any nearby soldiers. Heck, she probably would have woken up the entire base!

"Shhhhhh!" Lilly hissed, glaring at Tori who was attempting to pry Lilly's hands off of her mouth.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I _knew_ it! I just knew you guys would make the perfect couple!" she said excitedly. Lilly rolled her eyes.

"I don't know if we're exactly a couple yet… I still have to spend more time with him, know what I mean? I never thought that I would like a robot, but the way he treats me is so different than any other boy I have ever met. He truly cares about me and protects me, something no one has ever done for me," Lilly said softly. "I was bullied as a child. Bumblebee showed me that there are people in this world who actually care about me. I don't care if he is an alien, he's, well, incredible to me."

Tori pulled the girl into a hug. "I care about you, Lilly," she said into her shoulder. Lilly hugged her back, grateful to have another great friend besides Bumblebee.

"Thank you, Tori," Lilly muttered, releasing Tori from the hug.

"So, did he like the kiss?" Tori asked, which made the blush creep onto Lilly's cheeks once again.

"Yeah, I was really surprised. I expected him to pull away, but he kissed me back. It felt… amazing, I guess," she said. "I've never kissed anyone before, so I'm glad my first one was with him." Her eyes fell to the floor sadly.

"Eek, I'm so happy for you guys!" Tori glanced at Lilly, whose smile was replaced with a frown. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, placing a hand gently onto Lilly's shoulder.

"I'm afraid it isn't going to work out," she said softly. "I mean, he is a robot, I'm a human. It isn't normal at all."

"Yeah, but you both have sparks or whatever you call them, right?" Tori suggested. Lilly perked up at the thought.

"You mean, like sparkbond? I'm not Cybertronian though, so I don't know if that would work… Anyways, if we were to do that, that wouldn't be for a while," Lilly said. She glanced at Tori, whose eyelids were drooping from the lack of sleep.

"Well, I'm gonna get going. Have a good night, Tori. Thanks for all of the help!" Lilly said, standing up before heading towards the door.

"Night, Lils!" Tori called, waving as her friend exited the room.

Lilly shut the door quietly behind her. She turned around to start walking when she ran into something hard, stumbling backwards. Her feet tripped over themselves and she braced for the fall, but felt a hand wrap around her waist. The person spun her around, and she was face-to-face with Bumblebee, who was staring at her with an amused expression.

"There you are," he said, smiling softly at Lilly. "I was looking for you, but you weren't in your new room."

"Oh, I was visiting Tori," Lilly said, moving closer to Bumblebee. A smile crossed her lips, and he ruffled her hair playfully.

"I figured. Well, let's get you to bed," he said, scooping her up with ease. She squeaked and held onto his neck tightly, laughter escaping her mouth.

"Bee, put me down! Just because I'm injured doesn't mean I can't walk," she said sarcastically. But Bumblebee didn't listen, and held her in his arms until he reached her door, gently placing her onto the ground.

"Have a good night," Bumblebee muttered, pulling the girl into a hug. Lilly enjoyed the warmth of his holoform, and buried her face into his shoulder. They pulled apart, still holding onto each other. "I have patrol tomorrow morning, so I can't stay with you tonight. You'll be okay, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll survive," Lilly teased, and she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him gently on the cheek. She dug the key to the room out of her pocket, and unlocked the door. "Goodnight, Bee," she said, grinning as she entered her room and shut the door.

 **––––––––––**

Lilly gave a happy sigh as her eyes opened from slumber. She was finally in her own room, and Ratchet wouldn't be constantly nagging on her to give her a scan or change her bandages. Swinging her legs from under the covers, she slowly stood up and stretched. Her body still felt a little sore, although it was healing at a faster pace than Ratchet had expected. She was almost concussion free, and would soon be able to watch all the TV she wanted with Tori.

Walking to the small bathroom, she flipped the switch on and stood in front of the sink mirror. A girl with ocean blue eyes and light brown hair was staring back at her, and she smiled softly to herself. Bumblebee liked this girl, and cared deeply about her. She might as well too.

Lilly tied her hair back into a low ponytail, and she leaned forward to wash her face. As she bent over, something in her torso area felt different. She lifted her t-shirt up and stared at the bandage in the mirror, wondering if she should check her stitches for any sign of infection. She began to unwrap the bandage from her waist, and held her breath as the bandage got thinner, praying nothing bad had happened to her worst injury. Maybe it was her rib that had been bothering her?

As she finished unwrapping the last part of the bandage, she peeled it from her stomach and lifted. Her body froze as she was staring at a small amount of cerulean blue _metal_ that was covering where her injury once was. As the reality hit her, her spark began to beat rapidly as she screamed, falling back into the wall. Her hand grabbed the towel rack for support, but it fell from the wall with a loud crash, bringing her body down with it.

Lilly lifted her head from the tile floor, rubbing the arm she had landed on. She stood up and saw the metal in the mirror once again, causing a panic attack as she stumbled into her room. Her breathing was heavy, and she fell onto the floor in shock at what was happening to her.

"Hello? Are you alright?" There was a muffled voice from behind the door, followed by a small knock. Lilly gasped and pulled down her shirt, giving a small cough.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" she called. "I just fell, t-that's all!"

"Alright. I heard a loud crash, so I was just checking to see if you were okay," the soldier said.

"Thank you!" Lilly called, trying to sound cheerful as she crawled over to her bed. The soldier didn't respond, and she figured that he had walked away. _Calm down, Lilly_ , she told herself, trying to even her shaky breaths. Slowly, she lifted up her shirt, wincing as her eyes came in contact with the metal once again.

"What's going on with me?" she whispered, biting her lip nervously. She brought her hand to touch the metal, the hard surface surprisingly warm. Was this a side effect of having the Allspark inside of her, or was something seriously wrong? She gulped, pulling her shirt down once more. One thing she knew, is that no one could see it. If they did, there would be all kinds of drama and trouble, let alone Ratchet being very concerned.

She changed into a grey t-shirt with a black Autobot insignia on the breast pocket, and black sweatpants. Her thoughts continued to drift to the metal on her stomach as she braided her hair to the side, her spark still thumping quickly in her chest. She re-wrapped her torso in case anyone could see it, and tucked her shirt into her sweatpants. Slipping the key into her pocket, she opened the door, poking her head out to check for any signs of soldiers or Autobots.

With the coast clear, she walked quietly to the cafeteria, hoping no one would talk to her. The only thing she wanted to do was hide in her room so no one could find out about the mysterious metal. It reminded her of the time when she was bullied when she was younger, and she was terrified it would happen again. She would be known as a freak and an outcast, a weird and worthless human. She couldn't allow her secret to be known.

As Lilly neared the cafeteria, she pulled her arms tighter around her chest. Soldiers that were walking by either waved to or greeted her, and she simply ignored them, hoping to not have a lot of attention. The cafeteria, luckily, was not very crowded, and she didn't see too many faces she recognized. Quickly walking to the back of the food line, she stared at a poster on a nearby wall and refused to make eye contact with anyone. Serving herself a small bowl of Lucky Charms and a pancake, she grabbed a carton of milk and headed towards the exit.

"Lilly!" a girl called her name, and she turned to find Tori waving from a table. Lennox and Epps were sitting at it, grinning at her like always.

"Oh, hi," she said nervously, keeping a safe distance from the table as she approached. The three of them gave her strange looks at the way she was acting.

"Why don't you have a seat?" Lennox said, patting to a chair next to him. Lilly's eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head.

"Uh, no thanks. I'm having breakfast on the go," she said, and hurried out of the cafeteria before any of them could respond. As she headed down the hallway to her room, she remembered that Bumblebee had patrol, so he wouldn't be back to the base until later in the morning. That gave her some time to think of an excuse as to why she was avoiding her friends.

Taking out her key, she opened the door, locking it behind her. She made her way to the small couch, setting down her tray of food. She was halfway through her meal when there was a knock on the door, making her jump.

"Lils? Is everything okay?" The voice of Tori came from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Just not feeling too well," she said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"Well, if you're not feeling well, maybe you should see Ratchet if anything is wrong with you? Like maybe one of your injuries?" Tori asked. _If only you knew_ , Lilly thought.

"Um, please don't tell him, I've had enough scans and check-ups. Please, Tori," she begged.

"Lilly, I want to make sure you're okay. Can I come in?" Tori asked politely. Lilly gulped, guilt and sadness washing over her.

"I'm sorry, but I would rather you not. I'm going to take a shower soon, I just want some time to myself. Is that alright?" Lilly called, making sure her voice was loud enough.

"I guess so. I'll see you later," Tori said, her voice sounding hurt and upset. Lilly held her breath as she heard the sound of footsteps fade away, and sighed when they disappeared. Once she finished her breakfast, she walked to the bathroom, taking off her clothes. She went into the shower, allowing the warm water to fall across her skin and soak her hair. Glancing down at her stomach again, she noticed that the metal had spread, and held in a scream. Her spark began to thrum wildly in her chest again, and this time she felt close to fainting.

Once she had shaved, washed her body and hair, and rinsed her face, Lilly got out of the shower, wrapping a towel tightly around herself. She used a smaller one to wrap her hair in order to allow it to dry faster. She dressed back into the clothes she had on earlier, and re-wrapped the large bandage around her waist. Putting her hair into a tight bun, she brushed her teeth quickly before heading over to the couch once more.

Lilly caught a glimpse of something on the ground out of the corner of her eye, and turned her head. There was a small piece of paper near the door, and she walked to pick it up. Written neatly across the paper read:

 _Lilly,_

 _I knocked on your door but you didn't answer. I figured you were in the shower, so I decided to leave this note._

 _Ratchet would like to see you to make sure everything is going alright. He asked me to come get you, but I will tell him you'll be there soon. Good luck! ;)_

 _Major Will Lennox_

She gulped, crumpling up the note before tossing it in the trash. What was she going to do now? If she avoided Ratchet, it was obvious he would come find her. But what if he found out about her metal?

There was only one thing she could do: hide for the rest of the day. Grabbing her room key, she crept into the hall and headed for the courtyard, where she knew no one would be able to find her for a while. Luckily, the soldiers had either training or patrol, so the hallways were empty except for the occasional worker. She snuck into the courtyard through the side door and headed for a shaded corner, where she rested against the side of the building.

Hours passed, while Lilly remained silent, watching the clouds. She knew Ratchet was probably panicking looking for her, but she didn't care. The courtyard had not a single soul besides her in it, and she was grateful to be away from everyone, allowing her more time to wonder about the mysterious metal growing on her torso. _Primus, why can't you tell me what's going on?_ she thought, closing her eyes as she lifted her head towards the sun.

"Lilly!" A shout startled her, and she jumped, her eyes darting to the main entrance to the courtyard. Bumblebee's holoform was jogging towards her, and she avoided his gaze as she turned away from him.

"Hi Bee," she said quietly. He stopped near her, frowning.

"Where in the name of Primus have you been? Ratchet has been calling and looking for you, didn't you get the message?" Bumblebee asked, raising his eyebrows in question. He pulled Lilly into a standing position, and she continued to stare at the ground.

"Yeah, but I don't _want_ to see him," she whispered, her spark thumping loudly in her chest.

"Lilly, that is no excuse, you need to see him! You are injured and need his assistance to make sure you heal properly!" he said, looking at her sternly. She began to walk away, ignoring him. Bumblebee felt hurt, and grabbed her hand, spinning her around. She pulled away, but the boy was too strong.

"Something is wrong. What is it? You can tell me anything, I won't let others know," he said softly, pulling her close despite the girl being so reluctant.

"I can't," she muttered, a tear coming to her eye. Bumblebee's eyes widened, and Lilly pulled away from his grasp, walking across the courtyard.

Bumblebee remained frozen in place. A few minutes later, Tori ran to his side, her black hair pulled messily into a braid.

"Hey, what's up with Lilly?" she asked, panting slightly.

"I don't know, something is definitely wrong," Bumblebee replied, his blue eyes glazing over in worry. Tori bit her lip, her wide, green eyes searching his face.

"She won't talk to anyone, and she is avoiding all of us at all cost. Something has to be bothering her," she said thoughtfully.

"This happened so suddenly. She was happy last night when we–" he paused, a blue tint crossing his cheeks.

"Kissed? Yeah, she told me. I don't know what could have happened so quickly. I have to go, I'll see you later," Tori said, waving as she jogged away. Bumblebee was left alone once again, and he stared blanky to the wall nearby as a million thoughts and concerns crossed his processor.

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Lilly wanted to vanish and never return. She was sitting on a bed in the human Med Bay, Ratchet lecturing her about hiding and running away from her problems. When she had left Bumblebee in the courtyard, Lennox had found her and practically dragged her to Ratchet. Both of the men were angry with her, especially the medical officer, who had spent a good ten minutes scolding her about her actions. Lilly argued with him and said she had gone through enough in the past week, and that the constant check-ups were getting on her nerves.

Now, Lilly was stuck with Ratchet, and there would be no escaping his discovery of the metal.

"–please promise me that, Lilly," Ratchet said, crossing his arms across his chest. Lilly shook her head, blinking a few times.

"What?"

Ratchet stomped his foot in irritation. "Were you just listening to what I was saying?"

"No, not really," Lilly replied truthfully, and the medic rolled his eyes.

"I swear, these fleshlings…" he trailed off, opening a cabinet and pulling out bandages. "Well, you are concussion free, although I still want you to stay away from bright lights and television, just for a day or two." Lilly sighed at this. "Your smaller cuts are healing very well," he muttered, unwrapping some of the bandages on her arms and legs. She frowned as she saw the scabs on the majority of them, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"I hate scabs," Lilly whispered, and Ratchet caught this, raising an eyebrow.

"Now, let's check on your gashes on your stomach. I will perhaps be able to take the stitches out within a week," he said, reaching for her stomach. Lilly moved away, and Ratchet furrowed his eyebrows.

"Lilly, please stop moving. You aren't a sparkling, for Primus's sake," he scolded. Her spark began to beat faster, and she felt light headed. What was Ratchet going to say when he saw what was happening to her? He began to unwrap the bandage, and Lilly watched, biting her lip anxiously. Suddenly, the floor shook, and the medic stumbled, gripping the bed while holding onto Lilly at the same time. The sound of an explosion came from nearby, and Lilly screamed in fright.

Ratchet stood up, looking her in the eye. "Stay here, you hear me? Don't move, we are under attack!" Before she could ask any questions, the holoform disappeared with a shimmer of blue sparks, and she was left alone.

"Oh my God," she whispered, hanging on tightly to the bed as the building shook again. She couldn't _sit there_ and hide, while both the soldiers and Autobots were fighting! Throwing the door open, Lilly stumbled into the hall, and took off in the direction of the main hangar.

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 **A little bit of a cliffie! What will happen to Lilly? Leave any guesses about what will happen next chapter, and the person who gets the closest will have two spoilers as a prize (unless they don't want any!) Good luck!**

 **Sorry it took a while to post this chapter, I have been busy. Until next time! :)**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	24. A New Battle Begins

**Hello my lovely viewers! Summer is sadly coming to an end, and the school year begins *sighs* As I have been saying, that will mean much less frequent updates, so I am so sorry about that. I _hope_ to get a new chapter up once every two weeks, maybe even twice! I hope you all have an amazing school year, work and study hard, and I know you will succeed! To any seniors in high school, I hope you find the perfect college and have a great year :) I just want to let you guys know that I am here to talk if you have any school struggles! Feel free to PM me.**

 **Congrats for Transformerminionkittycat for being the closest one to guess what will happen in this chapter! You have already been PMed, don't tell anyone anything I said! ;)**

 **Now, for my reviews. Thank you so much to all of you who left kind and helpful comments! I really appreciate each and every one of them.**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: You are so funny! Thank you for all of your reviews, they make me smile :) Here is the next update, you'll see what happens!**

 **Answerthecall: You are certainly correct! Thank you very much! :)**

 **Daughter of Ironman06: You will soon see! *winks***

 **Transformerminionkittycat: Yessss, lots of fluff haha! I know, Lilly is just afraid to let someone know about the mysterious metal, she is afraid of what could happen! Your guesses are on the right track, but a little hint, that may not happen at the exact moment during the battle. Maybe a little further on... ;) You are such a kind person, helping other people and making them smile. I wish I knew you in real life! Thank you so much, but you will always be a sweet girl to me! :D Thank you for being patient, here's the next update!**

 **Nina2814: Possibly! Thank you for the review, here is the next chapter! :)**

 **SnowKi: Haha thank you for waiting, here's the update!**

 **Sorry the battle scene may seem a little rushed, but describing fighting isn't my strong suit. Also, I'm not a Transformers pro, so if I get anything wrong about them please let me know in a review! Enjoy!**

 **BTW: If you would like to use any of my OCs (Lilly, Tori, or Firewarp) PM me and we can talk about it! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 22: A New Battle Begins**

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Explosions continued to go off as Lilly sprinted down the hallway, her spark thumping a mile a minute. The lights flickered, and the ground shook slightly, the girl silently praying that everyone was okay. She was going against Ratchet's orders, and she knew she would be punished, but that wasn't stopping her. Nothing would. She neared a corner, gasping for air as she stopped running for a few seconds. A growl came from the other end of the hallway, and she froze, her eyes falling onto Ravage.

The single, glowing red optic watched Lilly as the silver mech crept forward, snarling loudly. Twin cannons appeared onto his back, glowing threateningly as he faced them towards the girl. Lilly had only a few seconds to dive behind the corner before the Decepticon spy shot the cannon, causing a nearby wall to explode. She scrambled to her feet and took off down the hallway, not daring to look back as she heard the loud thumps coming from the Decepticon behind her.

Lilly spotted the main hangar, sprinting as fast as her legs could carry her. Her eyes widened as she neared the entrance, gunshots crackling through the the air, creating echoes throughout the building. It was a complete disaster. Soldiers were running and diving behind vehicles, hoping to find cover as they fired at the invaders. The Autobots were battling a total of four Decepticons, not including Ravage.

"Help!" She screamed, and entered into the threshold of the battle, dodging a bullet fired by one of the Decepticons. Lilly spun on her feet and tripped, crashing to the floor with a thud. Ravage was closing in on her, and she weakly pulled herself up, crawling backwards desperately. Soldiers behind her were firing at Ravage, but the small Decepticon continued to approach the girl, his fangs bared. She felt a hand grab her shirt and pull her back as Lennox stepped in front of her, firing his gun rapidly.

"Lennox, it's no use!" Lilly cried, turning her head as she watched Epps and a few other soldiers focus their attention on Ravage. The Decepticon was closing in on the group of soldiers, his cannons pointed at the humans.

At the last second, Sideswipe skated by, stabbing his sword swiftly through Ravage, causing the Decepticon to yelp in pain. The silver Autobot grabbed the head and tail of Ravage, ripping the Cybertronian in half. Lilly covered her eyes, shivering as the thought of being torn apart crossed her mind. Sideswipe wheeled towards the group of soldiers, eyeing Lilly.

"Get her out of here!" He motioned to the girl, firing his cannon as a Decepticon approached. Someone grabbed her arm, and it was Epps, his eyes scanning her worriedly.

"He's right, we need to get you out of here. The 'Cons are probably after you," he said, pulling her to his feet as he held his gun tightly in his other hand.

Across the hangar, Starscream yelled. "There she is! The femme that contains the power of the Allspark!" The battle seemed to freeze, all optics and eyes on Lilly. She gulped, grabbing onto Epps in fear. The Decepticons began to run towards her, and the Autobots sprang to life, blocking the paths of the enemies.

"Follow me!" Epps yelled, running across the hangar while he held Lilly's arm, dragging the girl behind him. A few soldiers followed, covering Epps and Lilly as they fired at oncoming Decepticons. Lilly glanced towards the action, scanning the Decepticons quickly. She only recognized Starscream and Firewarp, the other two were black and looked relatively the same. They were nearing a door, almost there, a few more steps...

Epps pulled Lilly to the ground, seconds before a missile hissed above them and came in contact with the hangar wall to the left of them. Parts of metal fell from the wall, blocking the entrance to their escape route. Lilly looked up and saw a Decepticon in the distance snarl at them, his cannon smoking, before continuing fighting with Ironhide.

"Shit!" Epps cursed, pulling himself up and brushing the debris off of his shoulders. Lennox stood up and helped Lilly do the same, his eyes scanning for any other way to escape.

"What do we do now?" Lilly asked, moving closer to the soldiers.

"There," Epps pointed across the hangar, "there's an exit that will lead us to the streets of DC. We can hide you from the Decepticons there." Lilly nodded, wiping blood from a cut on her arm. She still wondered why she bled human blood rather than energon, especially since she had a spark as a heart.

A scream ripped through the building, and the soldiers turned to the source of the sound. Their mouths fell open as they spotted one of the Decepticons holding Tori tightly, the girl squirming helplessly.

"Tori!" Lilly shrieked, attempting to run towards her friend. Lennox grabbed one of her arms, preventing her from moving a foot further. Lilly searched the hangar and spotted Jolt nearby, helping to fight off Starscream. "Jolt!" she yelled, catching his attention. He looked over quickly, and she pointed to the Decepticon holding Tori. Jolt followed her to where her finger was pointing and snarled, running towards the captor of Tori. He tackled the black Decepticon, causing Tori to fly out of its servo. The blue mech flipped over the enemy, standing upright just in time to catch his charge. Tori looked terrified, but Jolt held her close to him, running to place her near a hallway.

"Hide," he said quickly, lowering his servo to the ground. Tori hopped off, her body shaking in fear. She nodded, and ran down the hallway. Jolt stood up, continuing to battle the Decepticon he had recently attacked. Lilly sighed in relief, glancing to her right to find the other members of the group looking somewhat happy as they watched Tori disappear. Lennox turned back to Lilly, his gaze stern.

"Let's get moving," he said, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. The group began to go around the hangar, dodging the Autobots and Decepticons fighting each other. Lilly scanned the battle, halting as her eyes fell onto Bumblebee. He was pinned to the ground, one of the unfamiliar Decepticons pressing a cannon to his helm.

"Bee!" she called, running away from the group and into the battle zone. She didn't know what she was going to do, how would she be able to stop a giant robot from killing her guardian? Bumblebee's optics fell onto her as she approached, a look of fear, shock, and worry in them.

"No! Get away!" he shouted, struggling to move, but it was no use.

"Leave him _alone!_ " Lilly screamed, glaring at the Decepticon. The red optics moved to look at the human girl, growling lowly. He lifted his cannon from Bumblebee's helm and directed it towards Lilly.

"Lilly!" Bumblebee yelled as the Decepticon fired his cannon at the helpless human. Lilly put her arms in front of her face and closed her eyes, praying it would be over quickly. The worse thing that could happen would be a slow, painful death. But, nothing hit her… She opened her eyes, watching as a bright blue forcefield was in front of her. It disappeared, leaving a faint path of glowing energy where it had been. Both Bumblebee and the Decepticon were looking at her in shock, and she glanced down to see her torso glowing.

"What the heck?" she muttered to herself. She looked back up, her eyes widening as the Decepticon put his cannon back to Bumblebee's helm. It crackled to life, and she felt fear course through her body. Bumblebee looked at her with sorrow in his optics, never taking his gaze off of the girl he cared for the greatest.

"NOOOOO!" Lilly screamed, anger taking over her mind. A bright, white light went through her vision, preventing her from seeing what was happening around her. The sound of an explosion boomed, and her vision cleared as she watched the Decepticon fly off of Bumblebee, a bright blue light tearing through it. She felt dizzy, and fell to the ground, all of a sudden feeling weak. What had happened?

Something metal slid underneath her, and she turned her head in hopes to see an Autobot. Instead, Firewarp was smirking at her, and she whimpered in fear.

"I've got the femme!" he yelled triumphantly, laughing to himself. Blasting a hole in the roof of the hangar, the red and orange mech jumped in the air, transforming into his alt mode. Lilly screamed as parts of metal shifted around her, and within seconds she found herself strapped tightly into one of the seats. He shot off towards the sky, and the girl looked back fearfully as the calls from the Autobots grew fainter and fainter.

"Finally, the source of the Allspark has been captured once again," the voice of Firewarp sounded over the radio, and Lilly whimpered in fear. Her vision began to cloud, and the voice of Primus once again entered her mind before she fell unconscious.

"Do not fear, my child, your powers are only just beginning to awaken…"

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The door to a closet opened, revealing Tori huddled in a corner. Her black hair was strewn messily across her delicate face, and her wide, green eyes stared at the person who had opened the door, a frown across her face.

"Is it finally over?" she said quietly, and Jolt nodded, pulling her out of the closet. The blue-haired holoform stared at her softly, his bright blue eyes flickering with sadness.

"Jolt, what's wrong?" Tori asked, standing in front of him. He made contact with her eyes, frowning miserably.

"Lilly… She's been kidnapped by the Decepticons again," he said softly.

"W-What?" Tori stuttered, tears forming in her eyes. "But… how?" Jolt pulled her into a hug, and she leaned in further, crying into his shoulder.

"You won't believe it, but Lilly shot something from her that killed a Decepticon and prevented Bumblebee from being offlined. Then, Firewarp took her, and by the time we fully realized why he was flying away it was too late. If we tried to shoot him down we could risk harming Lilly," Jolt said, tightening his arms around his charge.

Tori pulled away, wiping her eyes. "We need to find her now! The Decepticons know about her powers, they are going to kill her to get to the Allspark!"

Jolt began to walk towards the hangar. "We are already preparing search teams," he replied. Tori walked beside him, and tears continued to fall down her face.

"Hey," Jolt said, halting before the hangar entrance. He put his hands on Tori's shoulders, turning her to face him. "She's going to be okay." He used his thumbs to wipe the tears away, and Tori gave a small smile.

"I hope so," she whispered. They continued into the hangar, where soldiers were gathered in several groups, while the Autobots were talking quietly amongst themselves. The holoform of Jolt holoform disappeared, and a nearby blue Chevy Volt transformed. Jolt's true form walked to his charge, crouching to be closer to her. Offering a servo for the girl, she climbed on, and held onto his thumb tightly. Jolt began to walk towards the Autobots, keeping an optic on Tori to make sure she didn't slip off.

"Jolt," Optimus greeted his comrade as he neared the group, and Ratchet and Ironhide made room for him. Bumblebee was standing near Optimus, his form sunken. His door wings were drooped, and his large fists were clenched at his side, a hard look in his optics. Ratchet was holding a data pad, bringing it close to his face as he swiped his digits across it.

"Prime," the medic said, walking forward a step. "I am tracking a signal from Firewarp," he muttered, and everyone began to talk amongst themselves.

"Dat fraggin' Firewarp forgot to put on his energon cloaker! Ha!" Skids said, high fiving his brother. A few other Autobots smirked at the stupidity of the young Seeker.

"Where is his location?" Optimus asked calmly.

"Not far from here, he is still in the state of Virginia, heading west towards the state of Kentucky," Ratchet replied, still focused on the data pad.

"Major Lennox," Optimus said, glancing at a nearby catwalk. Lennox turned around, holding a towel to the side of his head to stop a cut from bleeding down his face.

"Yes, Optimus?" he asked, and Epps turned around and stood beside him.

"We need assistance from the Air Force immediately, in tracking an F-22 fighter jet, designation Firewarp. He is the Decepticon who took Lilly, Ratchet has been able to track the location," Optimus said clearly. Lennox nodded, and turned around to tell something to the man on the computer next to him. The worker began to type at the keyboard, and Lennox faced the Autobots once again.

"We're on it," he replied.

Optimus nodded, facing the rest of the Autobots. "Bumblebee, Sideswipe, and Ironhide, you're coming with me. We are going to follow the path of Firewarp in hopes to see where he lands," he commanded, and the Autobots called for duty nodded.

Bumblebee began to speak. "Optimus, sir, when are we leaving?"

"We need at least ten minutes to prepare, Bumblebee. Do not worry, we will find and rescue your charge." The yellow mech's face plates shifted, anger crossing them.

"Ten minutes? We all saw what happened back there, something is wrong with Lilly. Both Tori and I have noticed how she was acting differently an hour ago, she is in danger!" he shouted, and the hangar fell silent.

Optimus vented heavily. "Bumblebee, you are correct, we did indeed see what had happened. Lilly had saved your life with some kind of power from her, and I have no doubt it has to do with her Allspark energy. Primus is watching over her, he will not let the girl be killed."

"But you can't guarantee that! She is probably terrified right now, and both you and I know the Decepticons are going to murder her to get her powers. That's why they took her again!" Optimus was speechless, and Bumblebee stormed by.

"Bee!" Tori cried as the yellow mech passed by Jolt, and he halted, turning his head sideways to glance at the human. "I know how you feel. You're scared, and I get it. So am I. But you can't keep acting this way, what would Lilly say if she saw you like this?" Tori asked softly, shifting so she could see his face better.

Bumblebee kept his optics trained on the girl, and straightened. "You're right," he said, his voice sounding weak. "I'm sorry, Optimus. It's just… Lilly is my charge, and I can't lose her again. I just _can't_ ," he mumbled, before walking away. Tori looked after him sadly, but something brushing her back gently made her turn around in surprise.

"Jolt?" she said quietly.

"Leave him alone, he will be fine," the mech said, moving a digit across her back to calm her. Tori smiled happily at Jolt, hugging his massive finger. The mech smiled back, and began to walk towards the human quarters.

"Why don't you get some rest?" he said, lowering Tori to the ground. She hopped off, holding onto his servo to steady herself.

"I could use some sleep," she said, yawning. She waved lazily to Jolt, and opened the door leading to a staircase. As she continued up the stairs, she prayed that Lilly would return safely once again.

Jolt watched his charge disappear into the human quarters, his faceplates lifting into a smile. Yes, being a guardian wasn't an easy task, but he enjoyed spending his time with Tori. She was an outgoing, smart, and quirky human, who was constantly is full of surprises. Turning back to the hangar, he met up with Sideswipe, who was drinking a cube of energon before his rescue mission.

"Make sure she gets back, alright?" Jolt said. The silver mech smirked, wiping the energon off of his lip plates.

"You got it," he said, placing the empty cube at a nearby pile of previously emptied cubes of energon.

"And make sure Bee doesn't do anything stupid," Jolt said, lowering his voice so Bumblebee couldn't hear.

:You could have used the comm link: Sideswipe said, and Jolt shook his head, laughing.

:I guess so, I just forgot: He replied.

:I'm going to make sure those fraggin' Decepticons pay: Sideswipe said, and Jolt could hear the venom laced in his voice over the comm.

Optimus interrupted their comm link. :Attention, all of the Autobots called for the mission, please repeat to the hangar entrance. Again, I repeat, all Autobots called for the mission, report to the hangar entrance:

Jolt smirked. :That's you: He said, pointing to Sideswipe.

"Later!" Sideswipe said outloud, wheeling down the hangar. Jolt walked towards Ratchet, who was heading to the Med Bay.

"Anything new, Doc?" he asked. Ratchet turned around, glaring at the blue medic.

"I've said many times before. Do not call me that!" Jolt burst into laughter, and Ratchet smacked him.

"Ow!" Jolt said, rubbing the spot where he had been hit. "What was that for?"

"You are beginning to act like the Twins," Ratchet muttered, continuing to the Med Bay. "Anyways, where's Tori?"

"Probably in her room," Jolt replied, smiling at the thought of his charge. There was the sound of engines starting across the hangar, and the two mechs watched as military vehicles and a few Autobots left through the entrance quickly. "Why was Lilly in the hangar during the battle in the first place?"

Ratchet glared ahead, shaking his helm. "I told her to stay where she was, of course that curious femme didn't listen to me like always. I should have locked her in the room," he, feeling slightly guilty.

"Well, it's not your fault. She should have listened to you."

"I know, but if I used my processor she would be safe," Ratchet replied.

Jolt vented, sucking oxygen into his systems. Today was one pit of a day, there was no denying that. There had been a Decepticon attack, revealing the location of the Autobots to their enemy. They had taken down two out of the four of the attackers, although the two that escaped had taken off with a special girl to the Autobots: Lilly. She had been captured once again, and the mech felt awful that the girl always had to be the one caught in the middle of trouble.

He looked up to the ceiling, closing his optics. He could only pray that they would get there in time before the Decepticons used Lilly as some sort of an experiment.

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Firewarp looked at his interior cabin, smirking to himself. Finally, he had been successful, he had kidnapped the girl they had needed! Megatron would be sure to reward him, and would possibly move higher up the ranks past the miserable piece of scrap metal, Starscream. The leader of the Seekers was a coward, and had no skill whatsoever at commanding his troops. It was lucky enough that two of them had escaped the attack on the Autobot base.

Making sure to remain mostly hidden in the clouds, Firewarp flew west for around two hours. The human femme had fallen unconscious, and her head was slumped against the seat. Once the hour had passed, he pointed the nose of his alt form downwards, descending slowly as he prepared to land. Radiation from the Allspark was coming strongly from the girl, and he wondered how it was possible for her to even have those powers.

 _At least we will shortly have them_ , he thought, eyeing an abandoned warehouse as he approached the large building. Their new base was in Kentucky, and although it was very close to the Autobot base, Megatron had insisted to perform the surgery to retract the Allspark as soon as possible.

He transformed in midair, landing on the ground with a thump, the girl in his servo. He wiped some energon off of his metal armor, keeping in mind to see Knock Out so he could get his wounds repaired. Starscream landed a few minutes later, smiling evilly as he caught sight of Lilly.

"Think you could escape us?" he asked the unconscious girl, and Firewarp rolled his optics.

"She can't hear you," he said, and Starscream glared at the younger Seeker.

"Don't talk like that to me!" he hissed, and instead of slouching in fear, Firewarp stood up taller.

"Well, who was the one who even got her in the first place? Who is Megatron going to reward?" Firewarp shot back, narrowing his optics. Starscream growled, kicking Firewarp's legs from under him, snatching the girl before she fell.

"I'm going to rip your spark from you, go to the pit!" Starscream shouted before storming off into the building. Firewarp pulled himself up, snarling as he ran to catch up to the Seeker. He opened his mouth to speak when Megatron approached them, a look of satisfaction across his faceplates.

"Very well, you two, bring the femme here," he said darkly, motioning for them to follow him down a hallway. They both looked to each other before obliging, continuing after their master. He led them into a room, and Starscream placed the unconscious girl onto a table. She stirred, and her eyes slowly opened, shrieking when she caught sight of the three Decepticons.

Lilly's heart began to race as she watched the Decepticons laugh at her. She felt completely helpless and trapped, let alone sick. Something was wrong with her, and the insides of her stomach continued doing flips, leaving a continuous feeling of nausea in her body. Why did this have to be her?

A different Decepticon doctor appeared from under the table, who looked very similar to Scalpel. Lilly shivered, trying to move, but her body felt too weak. He tied restraints to her arms and legs, and she whimpered.

"Please, don't," she said, and the doctor paused, crawling close to look at her face.

"Oh, you want me to help you? Why would I help a human like you?" he growled, slashing her face. A trickle of blood began to ooze out of the injury, and Lilly hissed in pain.

Starscream, Firewarp, and Megatron walked out of the room, leaving Lilly and the doctor to herself.

"Do it quickly," Megatron ordered, shutting the door and locking it. The doctor nodded, using his claws to poke around her face.

"Goodbye, femme," the Decepticon muttered, lifting up her shirt. He transformed his claw into some sharp-looking medical tool, and Lilly's spark began to hammer in her chest. He froze when he spotted the cerulean blue metal, now covering her entire chest and torso. "What in the name of Primus…?" he muttered, looking up to Lilly's face.

"Oh no…" Lilly trailed off, gulping as she saw that the metal had spread even more.

"Well, this will call for larger tools," the doctor said to himself, transforming the small tool into a large saw.

"Don't, please, no!" Lilly said, squeezing her eyes shut as he lowered the drill close to the metal. A high-pitched scream ripped from her throat as it made contact with her body, pain shooting through her the instant it broke through the fine layer of the mysterious metal. It was unbearable, and she felt her stomach being ripped open like a bag of candy, only a million times worse. Dizziness overcame her, and she closed her eyes, preparing for death to find her. Quickly falling unconscious, Lilly failed to notice the bright light emerging from the opening in her metal, making the small Decepticon disappear in the blink of an eye.

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 **Credit to Transformerminonkittycat for the idea of having Bumblebee almost die. I thought it would fit really well into the battle scene and lead to her capture/ the Autobots seeing more of her powers, so thank you!**

 **Somewhat of a cliffie, hope it doesn't make you too anxious or mad! xD Why does Lilly keep getting kidnapped? What will happen to her? You will find out soon!**

 **I'm so happy Firewarp isn't such a wimp anymore. Standing up to Starscream takes bravery! (For him, anyways) I hope you guys like his character, he will have some surprises as the story progresses!**

 **HUGE FAVOR: I would be so happy if you could leave a review if you have read the whole story so far. I have had about 60 visitors on my most recent chapter, so a decent amount of people have been reading my story! Tell me what you like so far, anything I should fix/add details too, and your favorite character! Also tell me a little bit about yourself and your favorite Autobot/Decepticon! I mean if you want, you can even simply say "Hi" xD I just want to know who has been reading my story, and if you guys like it so far!**

 **Also, if you have any suggestions on what you think should happen, leave that in a review too. If I use an idea of yours I will happily give you credit. Thank you all, you're amazing! :) Have a great day and/or night.**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	25. Life Changes

**School has started and my free time has seemed to disappear. I will try my best to update every weekend, but please be patient! School is a priority for me, especially for being in high school *sighs***

 **I was SO pumped to write this chapter! You all pretty much know what will happen to Lilly, but now that it's _actually_ happening, everything is so much more exciting! And I know you guys want more fluff, I promise, LOTS and LOTS are coming in future chapters! There's a little bit in this chapter, but it's not a lot :P**

 **NOTE: Nina2814 brought this up, and I'm sorry to all of you who haven't been able to understand what "charge" means, since both Bumblebee and Jolt use it. According to other fanfictions I have read, a charge is pretty much the human a Transformer is guarding. So Bee is called Lilly's guardian, and Lilly is called Bumblebee's charge! Thank you for asking Nina2814, for anyone that has confusion about anything in my story, let me know!**

 **Thank you for everyone who reviewed! I seriously love you all and am thankful to be able to see what you think about my story! Keep up being amazing people!**

 **Panda Bear Lover 317: You seem to read my mind ;) Nice job guessing, I will definitely work on his character!**

 **Daughter of Ironman06: All that matters is that Bee is alive? Right? xD You'll see what will happen to her in this chapter!**

 **Answerthecall: Thank you very much! :D**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: Firewarp is definitely not one of the smartest Cybertronians out there... Sorry about the cliffie, but they make stories so entertaining (at least for me, lol!) I am so happy that you loved it, I hope you love this chapter as well! :)**

 **SunnySidesFemme: You changed your username! :0 I like it! I am beyond happy that you are loving my story! People like you motivate me to finish chapters so I can post them and not leave you guys hanging xD And you will see if Bee goes crazy or not *wink wink* Thank you SO much for all of your support, and I love all the ideas you give me. THANK YOU! 3**

 **saiyan angel blue: You'll see if your guesses are correct in this chapter! And yes, I feel like OCs need to have something bad happen to them to make stories more intense and interesting xD**

 **Nina2814: Make sure you read above to see what charge means! Sorry that wasn't clarified during the story! :/**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 23: Life Changes**

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Lilly felt her body drifting through darkness, almost as if she was an astronaut in space. Once again she was alone, and unable to move, desperately trying to make out any objects nearby.

"Hello?" she called, her voice echoing. Something hard, yet comforting slipped underneath her body, and she felt herself lifted to a great height by an unknown force. The movement stopped, and she held her breath, waiting for the being to speak.

"It is I, my child," a voice boomed. Lilly's lips curled into a smile. It was the first time in days she had felt truly safe.

It was _him_.

"I-It's really you?" she seemed to stutter, at a loss of words.

"I know you must be confused, Elizabeth Roth, but all shall be revealed in due time," he said gently, and a pair of bright blue optics opened, illuminating a giant, metal face. Lilly felt herself floating away, and she halted once again, gasping as the whole body of Primus was lit by a mysterious light.

The Cybertronian god had to be at least seventy feet tall, if not more. His armor was a deep, navy blue, detailed with bright, silver paint. Having strong form, broad shoulders, and holding some sort of a staff, Primus would seem intimidating, for his body screamed _power_. He seemed to be wearing armor like a knight, and held a shield-looking object in his other servo. His face gazed softly at Lilly, and it reminded the girl of Optimus: full of wisdom, kindness, and command.

"Wow," Lilly whispered. Primus smiled, bringing Lilly closer to him once again with a wave of his staff.

"My child, it is time for you to recognize your true potential." Lilly didn't respond for a few seconds, feeling confused.

"My true potential?" she repeated.

"Yes. Your powers will awaken, and your real form shall emerge from the darkness, where it has been hidden your entire life," he said calmly. Lilly didn't understand what he was talking about.

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't understand. I mean, there has been metal growing on my stomach! Can you please explain that, or do I have to wait for 'the time to come'?" she asked, sounding slightly annoyed. Primus sighed, and waved his staff once again. A screen appeared out of thin air, and on it displayed a small sparkling, its cerulean blue metal matching the metal that had been growing on Lilly.

"This may come as a shock to you, but I will explain in more detail. You, my child, were not born a human." Lilly's mouth fell open, not believing what she heard. She _wasn't_ a human? Unable to speak, Primus decided to continue.

"You are a Cybertronian, Elizabeth. You were born from the Allspark, as I had created you. I chose you to be the one that would save Earth from destruction, although that would not be for a long time. You are my reincarnation, and possess most of my powers," he said gently, and the sparkling began to cry. "That was you," he pointed his staff to the sparkling. Lilly reached out to touch the screen, and the small femme stopped crying, making clicking sounds as she reached her small servo to touch Lilly's hand.

"You were a curious one, indeed. Never got a chance to be 'adopted' in human terms, as I had to send you instantly to Earth as a human. I knew you would become a strong femme, and always choose to protect others rather than yourself. I have seen through your actions that I was correct then. So, I sent you to your current home, Earth, and created you as a human infant," he said, and the sparkling morphed into a human baby, with bright blue eyes and soft brown fuzz on her small head. Lilly recognized it as herself from picture frames in her house.

"So…" she said, realizing why she had never looked remotely similar to her parents. "I was adopted?"

"Yes," Primus answered, and the screen showed her so called "mother" and "father" holding the infant, cradling the baby girl before gently placing her into a crib.

"Why didn't they tell me?" Lilly demanded, feeling a sense of hurt and betrayal. How come they lied to her all those years?

"They were going to tell you soon, but they were afraid of how you would react. Perhaps you would feel hurt and angry that they hadn't told you as a child," Primus replied, and Lilly tried to clench her fists, although it was no use.

"So, I'm not real?" she asked.

"You are real, my child, although you are not truly a real human being. You are a Cybertronian. You always have been, and always will be," he said softly. The screen blurred before showing a new image, one of a femme that reminded Lilly a lot of the sparkling she had just seen.

"This is what you will look like, when you reawaken," Primus said, and Lilly couldn't begin to comprehend it. The femme had a curvy body, with strong arms and legs. A thin sheet of metal wrapped around most of her waist, dangling down to her feet. There was an open slit down the middle, dividing the skirt in half, and it was attached to her waist by some sort of metal belt. Her bright, blue optics stared at Lilly, and they seemed to be a different shade than the Autobots– deeper, like the ocean. Her face seemed slightly more human than most Cybertronian faces, with a small nose and thin lip plates.

"This is… me?" Lilly asked for clarification, and Primus nodded.

"You will have powers like no other," he said, and a large cannon emerged from the femme's right arm, the same color as her metal. It glowed to life, and Primus pointed to the cannon. "You can shoot beams from the Allspark, killing almost anything with one or two hits. Although, you can lower the intensity, let's say if you were training with your fellow Autobots." Lilly nodded, trying her best to remember all of the information.

The cannon transformed back into a regular arm, and instead, a large jetpack appeared on the femme's back. "This, is your jetpack," Primus said. The femme began to hover, and Lilly gazed in amazement. She landed onto invisible ground, and Lilly continued to watch herself, almost hypnotized by the grace she possessed while flying.

"The last thing," Primus said, waving his staff. "Is that you can transform to a human once again." Lilly gasped as the femme began to shift into a human that looked exactly like herself. "No need for a holoform, well, most of the time," Primus said.

"Will… Will the Autobots accept me?" Lilly asked, feeling slightly nervous. How would they deal with this unexpected change?

"That, you will find out, my child," Primus answered, and the screen disappeared. "You are about to embark on your destiny. Use your powers to lead you to The Orb of Darkness, and destroy it once and for all."

"But how do I do that?" Lilly asked.

"It will happen, I will assure you. You will know when the time has come. Now go, and change the world." Before Lilly could reply, Primus swung his staff in three circles, and Lilly felt her vision begin to darken. Her body felt as if it was growing, and it was heavier, but before she could fully realize what was happening, she slipped into unconsciousness once more.

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Bumblebee pumped energon into his engines, allowing him to break 130 miles per hour. Five minutes ago they had crossed the border of Kansas, and were now heading to a rural area full of farmland. Bumblebee would have been enjoying the sights of many beautiful wheat and corn fields, but his processor was busy and distracted. He knew he was acting arrogantly, and was ashamed of it, although he could not help his actions. His charge was in danger once again, and if the Decepticons killed her… He couldn't live with himself. Not without Lilly.

A silver sports car pulled up in the lane next to Bumblebee, honking its horn to grab the Camaro's attention. Bumblebee looked to his right, recognizing the Corvette Stingray concept as one of his fellow Autobots, Sideswipe.

:Bee, we'll get to her: Sideswipe commed, worriedly glancing at the youngling beside him.

:We will, but will she be alive? Will she be okay?: Bumblebee said, revving his engine in anger.

:We are almost there, and you can kill all the 'Cons you want: Sideswipe teased over the comm link.

:Fragging right I will. Ya know Sides, you saw what happened back there, right?:

:I sure did, that weird thing that happened with Lilly? I mean a human saved your life, Bee. How did she do that?:

If Bumblebee could shrug, he would. :No idea, but I feel like she is hiding something from us. I don't know what, but she's is the kind of human who won't share things if she thinks it will negatively affect others: The yellow mech silently promised that he would do anything to return the favor of saving his life to Lilly. He owed it to her.

Sideswipe paused, receiving a call from Lennox. "What's up?" Sideswipe said.

"I need you to take it down a notch. We are nearing the destination, so take the next exit," Lennox ordered over the phone.

"On it, Major," Sideswipe replied before slowing his speed to 85 miles per hour.

:Bee, can you slow down? Lennox says we are getting off at the next exit: The Camaro ahead of him braked, falling back to a speed slightly faster than his. They took the next exit, and waited for directions from the rest of the rescue team. Thirty minutes ago they had been notified that Firewarp had landed somewhere near an abandoned warehouse, similar to the one in Colorado.

A few minutes later Optimus and the others got off of the highway, halting near the two sports cars. Lennox rolled down the window of the military truck, sticking his head out so he could look at the rest of his team.

"Follow me," he said, and they continued down a straight road. After a short while, Lennox led the group off of the main road, bringing them onto a dirt road that stretched further than the eye could see. There was an old sign that had faded letters, but they could make out "Wilson Paper Company est. 1958" on the wooden surface.

They began down the dirt road, proceeding with caution as there could be Decepticons nearby or any kind of traps. Nearing the building, Lennox stopped the vehicle and signaled for the others to do the same.

"Okay," he said, stepping out of the truck. "This building is much smaller, and we are picking up a lot less energon signatures than in Colorado. My team and I will cover from the outside, while Optimus, Ironhide, Bee, and Sideswipe will infiltrate the inside. We are picking up Megatron's signal from the back of the warehouse, so Optimus and Ironhide will distract him while Bee and Sideswipe go inside to find Lilly and get her out of there. Got it?"

Everyone replied "yes", and Lennox gave a small smile. "Let's make sure they pay, alright? For _everything_ they have done to Lilly." The majority nodded, and the Autobots transformed, shifting their arms into various weapons. Lennox patted Bumblebee's pede, and said quietly, "She is going to be okay."

"We can only hope," Bumblebee replied, his voice dark and low. Anger coursed through his systems, and he took a step forwards, charging his cannons. "Let's move!" he shouted.

Bumblebee and Sideswipe quickly ran to the building, the doors already open. Two drones were walking down a hallway, and turned to face the oncoming Autobots. The mechs took the drones out with ease, and continued down the hallway. Turning the corner, they spotted Firewarp at the end of it, mumbling to himself.

"...have I done? Primus, help me!" Firewarp muttered, walking back and forth. He froze when he spotted the two Autobots, slowly backing up.

"Firewarp!" Bumblebee yelled, charging at the smaller Decepticon. Firewarp whimpered, but didn't fight back as the yellow mech tackled him to the ground.

"Please, no! I regret it! Please!" Firewarp pleaded, and Bumblebee held his cannon to the Seeker's chassis.

"Regret what, Deceptiscum?" he growled, his voice laced with deadly venom.

"I shouldn't have! The human femme, it was a mistake, s-she doesn't deserve it!" Bumblebee raised an optic ridge, and Sideswipe wheeled over, holding his sword to Firewarp's neck plates.

"What doesn't she deserve?" Sideswipe questioned. Firewarp turned his optics towards the silver mech.

"They are g-going to kill her! Dissect her like an animal!" the Decepticon stuttered, eyeing the Autobots warily. "But, it's too late, I left the room a few minutes ago, and they were just about to begin the surgery!"

Bumblebee snarled, confusion consuming him. Firewarp seemed to be telling the truth, but it could be a trick. Was it true, had they already killed Lilly?

"Where is she!?" he demanded, forcing his cannon into the mech's chassis harder. Firewarp didn't reply, his body shaking in fear. "You have ten seconds before I blast you apart," Bumblebee threatening, his door wings quivering with anger.

"T-two hallways down! There are Decepticon guards, you must be careful!" Firewarp shouted, and Bumblebee shoved him out of the way.

"Come on," he said to Sideswipe, sprinting down a hallway. The hint about the guards had been the reason why Bumblebee trusted Firewarp, although he did not know why. Perhaps it was because the Decepticon was concerned about their well-being and success in the mission. _Why had Firewarp chosen to help the Autobots?_ Bumblebee thought to himself, shaking his helm. _He was the one who captured Lilly in the first place!_

A scream tore through the building, and two mechs froze. It sounded so familiar, and they both knew just whom it belonged to.

"Lilly!" Bumblebee shouted, following the path of the scream. "I'm coming!" Just as he spoke those words, a Decepticon came from an adjacent hallway, tackling Bumblebee to the ground. It jumped on top of him, and went to stab him, but Bumblebee rolled over, kicking the Decepticon's legs from underneath him. It fell to the ground, and Bumblebee shot his cannon at the helm of the enemy, although it blocked it with its arm.

Sideswipe stabbed his sword into the torso of the attacker, energon leaking profusely from the wound he created. It hissed in pain, and Bumblebee punched the helm of the Decepticon, causing bits of metal to fly off. The yellow mech charged his cannon, and put his knee against the chassis of his enemy, before shooting it. It tore open its spark cage, and the Decepticon screamed in pain, before it was soon silenced with one more stab from Sideswipe in the spark.

The two Autobots stood up, panting slightly. Bumblebee wiped the energon off of his armor, glancing at Sideswipe.

"She's close," he said quietly, and they continued down the hallway before turning the corner. Firewarp had been right, two enormous Decepticon guards were standing in front of the doors where the screaming was coming from. Bumblebee clenched his denta, and commed Sideswipe.

:Try to make this quick: Sideswipe nodded, and they both swiftly charged at the Decepticons. The guards looked at them in surprise, before transforming their servos into large, spiked, metal clubs.

Bumblebee shot at one of them to distract it, and dodged the bullets as the Decepticon returned fire. He failed to realize that the mech was preparing to swing his club, and before he could react, Bumblebee was thrown into a wall, hissing in pain as the spikes dug into his metal. Energon began to leak slowly from his cuts, and he stood up, snarling angrily.

He fired repeatedly at the guard's legs, and the Decepticon collapsed to the ground, howling in pain as part of his protoform was exposed. Bumblebee jumped on top of the guard and used his body weight to prevent the guard from throwing the Autobot off of him. Bumblebee grabbed its neck, squeezing tightly, and ignored the pleading look of the Decepticon beneath him. Lilly was like his fuel, he was fighting for _her_. Revenge for what they had done to his charge was the only thought in his processor, and he squeezed the Decepticon's neck tighter, once again ignoring the screams of pain coming from it. He held his cannon to its helm, and before the guard could beg for mercy, fired it forcefully through the metal. Its body lied still, and Bumblebee grinned triumphantly, watching as Sideswipe brought down the second guard.

They pushed open the door to the room, and the screams were immediately silenced. Bumblebee glanced to a nearby human-sized table, but Lilly wasn't on it. Had they… already killed her?

"Lilly?" he called, walking towards the table. He peered underneath it and to the side, but she wasn't there.

"Uh," Sideswipe muttered, poking the yellow mech on the back. Bumblebee turned around to face his comrade, his optic ridge raised as if asking "What?". Sideswipe pointed to the opposite corner of the room, and Bumblebee followed his gaze, his energon turning into ice as his optics fell on… A _femme_.

She was staring at the Autobots with wide optics, her body shaking violently. Bumblebee had never seen her before, yet she felt so _familiar._

"B-Bee?" she asked hesitantly, never taking her optics off of the yellow mech. Bumblebee was speechless. The voice belonged to Lilly.

She glanced at Sideswipe, and frowned. "I-It's me, Lilly. I k-know you're wondering how I am like this, I can explain, b-but can we get out of here?" she stuttered. The two mechs looked at each other, completely dumbfounded. How did a human turn into a Cybertronian?

Bumblebee walked towards the blue femme. Her optics made contact with his, and something inside of him stirred. Ignoring the feeling, he stopped in front of her huddled form, and smiled.

"If you are Lilly, what is your favorite food?" he asked. Her optics searched his faceplates, and a grin spread across her own.

"Pizza is by far the best, although it changes between that and chicken," she replied honestly. Bumblebee's smile widened, his optics softly flickering over the femme in front of him.

It _was_ Lilly.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered. She was safe, and that was all that mattered to him. Her dark blue optics gazed at Bumblebee happily, and he reached down, wrapping his servo around hers. She gripped it tightly, and he pulled her to a standing position, where she began wobbling.

"W-w-woah," she said, biting her lip plates as she attempted to maintain her balance. Bumblebee held her servo while the other held her steady at the waist, and finally, she stopped wobbling. Lilly looked up, giving a small smile. "Thanks," she whispered, and Bumblebee continued to stare at her softly. More questions than he could count filled his processor, but he knew it was not the best time to ask.

Sideswipe wheeled over, smiling at Lilly. "Kid, you've really changed," he said, fiddling with his swords.

"I have a lot to tell you," she muttered, and glanced at the door. "Can we, um, leave?" she asked.

The floor shook, and gunshots echoed through the hallways into the room. Lilly tensed, gripping Bumblebee's servo with both of hers. The two mechs looked at the doorway, snarling in a protective way towards the femme near them.

"Come on," Sideswipe said, wheeling to the door. Bumblebee looked back to Lilly.

"Can you walk?" he asked gently. Lilly picked up one of her pedes, and put it forwards, wobbling. She put out another one, but couldn't keep her balance, and was about to fall to the floor before Bumblebee scooped her up bridal-style in his arms. "I'll take that as a no," he said, flashing a smirk to the femme.

"Sorry, it's not my fault I just turned into one of you guys!" she said, blushing slightly. Bumblebee adjusted his grip on Lilly, before following Sideswipe out of the room. She was a lot heavier than, well, a human, but he could still carry her with ease. She was light for a Cybertronian, given she was a femme and only around thirteen feet tall.

They ran down the hallway past the offlined guards, and followed the path to the entrance to the warehouse. Firewarp was in the same spot he had left them, and he looked up at the sound of pedes against the floor. Bumblebee stopped near the Seeker, giving him a small smile. "Thanks, Firewarp," he said, and Lilly looked at him with a confused and angry expression across her faceplates.

"Thanks?" she repeated, sounding hurt. He was the fragging 'Con that _captured_ her!

"He told me where they were keeping you," Bumblebee replied. Firewarp was staring at Lilly, his optic ridge raised in wonder.

"Uh, who's the femme? Where's the human?" he asked.

"I had, well, a little transformation," Lilly said, and Firewarp shook his helm in confusion.

"We need to get going," Sideswipe interrupted, wheeling towards the exit of the building. Bumblebee followed him, Lilly holding onto his neck tightly.

Firewarp watched the two mechs and femme disappear around a corner, fiddling with his servos. _Megatron will kill me if he finds out I helped the Autobots!_ he thought nervously. If he made the decision to flee and never come back, would the Autobots allow him to join them? Or would be remain a neutral? He had already helped them, so it would be suicidal to stay with the Decepticons. Firewarp vented air through his systems, moving his wings anxiously. He took off down the hall, praying that he wouldn't run into any of his used-to-be comrades.

Bumblebee and Sideswipe ran outside, heading towards Lennox and his team. Bumblebee placed Lilly onto the ground, helping her stand. Lennox got out of his vehicle, holding his gun tightly. Around ten soldiers followed, standing near the Major.

"Who is that?" Lennox asked, and pointed to Lilly.

"I'm Lilly, and it's a _long_ story," she replied, and the surrounding soldiers' eyes widened in sync. Lennox shook his head.

"I swear, what this war does to some people," he joked, and Lilly chuckled.

"I know, it's not everyday a human becomes a Transformer," she said, holding onto Bumblebee's arm for balance. The group paused as the sound of airplanes appeared out of nowhere, and watched as Starscream, Megatron, and a few other Decepticons flew from the base. Sideswipe and Bumblebee had their cannons at ready, their optics narrowed at the fleeing Decepticons as they disappeared into the clouds.

Optimus and Ironhide came from behind the building, looking quite beaten up. Countless numbers of dents and scrapes were among their metal armor, and they were both leaking energon in several different places.

"Fragging 'Cons," Ironhide murmured as he neared the group. He was holding onto his arm, attempting to prevent a wound from leaking. He glanced towards the group, and noticed a femme standing near Bumblebee that he had never seen before. "Who're you?" he asked gruffly, and Optimus gazed at her calmly, curiosity in his optics.

"You know me already," she replied, and both Ironhide and Optimus were taken aback.

"L-Lilly?" they both asked at the same time, and she nodded.

"Ding ding ding! We have two winners!" she said playfully. The expression on their faceplates made her burst into laughter, causing her to lose her balance once more. She swayed on her pedes, but Bumblebee took her servos in his own, pulling her close to prevent her from falling. She looked up to find Bumblebee's optics trained on her own, and smiled brightly, giving his servos a comforting squeeze.

"But how? Last time I saw you, you were just a squishy!" Ironhide said.

"Primus did me a little favor. I will tell all of you when we get home, but can we _please_ leave?" she asked, clearly becoming impatient.

"How are we going to get you home when you don't have an alt form?" Lennox asked from the ground. A small smile crossed Lilly's lip plates.

"You see, Primus gave me the ability to do this," she said. Closing her optics, she concentrated on her body, giving a sigh of relief as she felt it beginning to work. Gasps sounded all around her as her body began to change, and soon Lilly as a human was standing in front of them. She grinned at them, and shook her arms and legs.

"Woo! This is a lot easier than being a twenty foot robot!" she shouted, running in circles.

"What in the pit just happened?" Sideswipe said, and Lilly stopped moving.

"I am the reincarnation of Primus, so I can transform back into a human. I just have a spark, and I think I have normal blood rather than energon," she answered, looking upwards towards the Autobots. "Kind of like how I was before I had my little transformation a few weeks ago."

"Aw, I wish I could do that. Being a reincarnation of Primus? I can't fragging wait to see the rest of your powers!" Sideswipe said excitedly.

"Let's get going so we can debrief Lilly on what exactly has happened to her," Optimus suggested. "I am still rather extremely confused," he said, smiling at the femme.

"I agree, let's get her out of here," Bumblebee muttered, transforming into the familiar black and yellow Camaro. Lilly hopped into his passenger seat, fastening her seat belt.

"You know, I think I like you as a femme," Bumblebee said through the radio. "I won't have to carry you around everywhere like I'm your slave."

"Hey!" Lilly said, kicking the dashboard. "I never ask to be picked up, you're always the one who lowers your hand to the ground in the first place!"

"Ow!" Bumblebee complained, his laugh echoing around the cabin. "I'm just teasing. It doesn't bother me at all."

"Good," Lilly replied, leaning into the seat. Her eyelids drooped tiredly, and she felt the seat lower for her to rest easier. "Thanks, Bee," she muttered, closing her eyes. Within seconds, she was sound asleep, and was unaware of the holoform that appeared next to her.

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 **Yay, she is FINALLY a Cybertronian! I wasn't that creative of her powers and stuff, but she's pretty cool to me. I hope you can picture what she looks like, maybe like a Cybertronian goddess (she's really pretty for a femme!) ;)**

 **You guys really want more fluff, so it would be awesome if you could leave a review giving me some fluff ideas, especially since Lilly is no longer really a human! I'm not an expert on how Transformers express feelings for each other, maybe you guys know some ways... Or nah xD**

 **What do you think will happen next chapter, or in future chapters? Any plot predictions? Please leave a review, my amazing readers! I hope you all wonderful day/night!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	26. The Chosen One

**Finally got chapter 24 up! Sorry it took so long, I have been SUPER stressed with school and also very busy outside of it, so I don't have a lot of time to write (or read). Also, has anyone seen The Scorch Trials? AHHHHHH that movie was amazing! (Although nothing like the book, which was kinda disappointing).**

 **Thank you for the reviews last chapter, I seriously can't thank you enough. And 30+ follows and favorites? Thank you! Now, for the reviews:**

 **Answerthecall: Thank you, I will try my best!**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: I'm glad you liked my descriptions, and were able to pictures things in your mind! (The goal of writing, right? xD) And for your guess on Firewarp, maybe! And no, he isn't THAT much of an idiot... :P Thanks for being patient, here's the update!**

 **Nina2814: I want a Bumblebee bobble head! It must be adorable xD Glad you are liking the story so far!**

 **SunnySidesFemme: YASSSSS! Yeah, she does get kidnapped a lot, hopefully it will stop xD And I'm sure Lilly will be spending a lot of time in her Cybertronian form, I mean how exciting is that? She is pretty bad aft! I'm glad you were able to picture what she looks like, that means I was able to describe her in an understandable way :P And thank you, you're an amazing person too!**

 **Now, time for the chapter! I hope you all like it! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 24: The Chosen One**

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Lilly stirred awake as rays of sun were peeking through blinds coming from a small window. She groaned, glancing towards her right, her eyes falling on medical cabinets. It fully registered to her that she was in the Med Bay, _yet_ again.

Stretching her limbs, Lilly wracked her brain for what had happened the previous day. It dawned upon her that she had been captured by the Decepticons, but she had discovered that she was _never_ a human. Had the Autobots known about this? Before she could contemplate about the question sitting in the back of her mind, the door opened, and the holoform of Ratchet walked in.

"Feeling well?" he asked, not even bothering to look her in the eyes as he scanned her body. Lilly glanced at her legs, staring at them for what seemed like hours before deciding on an answer. Ratchet had finished scanning, and waited impatiently, an eyebrow raised.

"Physically, yes. Emotionally and mentally, no." Although her answer was rather simple, Ratchet could understand what the girl was talking about. Her life had just been flipped upside down, a heavy weight put across her shoulders with the fate of the world in her very hands. He could tell by the way her eyes glassed over when he made eye contact with her that she was closing a part of herself from others, and he feared this would build stress upon her.

Ratchet merely nodded, and despite the non-verbal response, Lilly found comfort in the quiet. At least someone understood her troubles, and she would have a support system no matter what happened, _hopefully._

"Do you feel weird?" Lilly asked, breaking the silence as Ratchet looked up from writing on a clipboard.

"What do you mean?" he asked, and Lilly shifted herself so her legs dangled off of the medical bed.

"I mean, I was never a human. I was one of _you_ , from Cybertron. I could have had a great home and fought during the war, but…" She trailed off, her gaze shifting to the floor. Without ever knowing it until now, Lilly's life had been stolen from her. She never asked to be the hero, she never asked to be the savior. Yes, she had grown close to Earth, but knowing the truth from early childhood would have made her life more understandable, more worthwhile.

"I had never expected it, no, until you returned with a spark instead of a heart. I knew then and there that since Primus had spoken with you, he had something planned for you," Ratchet replied, continuing to write on his clipboard. He finished and placed it on the counter, moving close to Lilly.

"So, you never knew about me? How I was destined to do all of this?" Ratchet shook his head, and Lilly felt slightly relieved.

"Now, let's get you back to your real form. Our goal for today is to make sure you can walk, because according to a certain youngling, you have no fragging skill whatsoever in balance and coordination." Lilly smiled sheepishly, and Ratchet rolled his eyes. "I would also like to get you an alt form soon, so you can begin on simple patrols and missions, getting used to how we work, and other things like that." Lilly couldn't believe what she was hearing, almost as if it was another language.

"You mean, I'm a _soldier_ now?" she asked, completely surprised.

"Yes, you will at least be given a certain job around here. Optimus wants to train you in preparation for when we discover the location of The Orb, because he fears that you may be harmed if you go into a battle with no skill. Now, before you ask any more questions, we have a lot for you in return. Please follow me," Ratchet said, and Lilly slipped off of the bed, following him out the door.

The hallways were relatively empty except for the occasional soldier. They nodded their heads towards Ratchet's holoform as they passed, but gave Lilly curious looks as she walked by. The news had probably spread around the base of what had happened the previous night.

Lilly and Ratchet walked into the main hangar, and Ratchet stopped near the entrance, turning to face her. "Come to my alt form," the medic said, and his holoform disappeared in a shimmer of blue sparks. Lilly scanned the hangar, trying to ignore the stares from nearby soldiers and Autobots as she spotted the Hummer. She quickly walked with her head down, refusing to make eye contact with anyone she passed. She hadn't seen Bumblebee, and a sense of longing filled her heart. She needed to see him. He was one of the few reasons she had been sane the past couple of days, and it was hard to control her emotions without him.

She stopped near the yellow search and rescue Hummer, watching it transform into the very familiar CMO for the Autobots. Ratchet looked at her, kneeling so he could communicate with her easier. "Time to show me what you really look like," he said, giving her a small smile. Lilly gulped, looking around as she found quite a few soldiers and Autobots watching her from the corner of their eyes. Giving a small sigh, she closed her eyes, and commanded herself to transform. It amazed her how her body did it naturally, and she payed close attention to the gasps of soldiers as the 5' 4" girl turned into a 13 foot blue robot.

She opened her optics, and gave a squeak as she started to sway on her pedes. Her balance was very off, and before she could regain it, her body began to fall backwards. Ratchet reached out to grab her, and was able to catch her servo in time. He pulled her to a standing position, a concerned look across his faceplates.

"Bumblebee hadn't been lying to me," he said, and Lilly rolled her optics.

"Lilly!" a voice called, and she looked behind Ratchet, a yellow, anxious-looking mech jogging towards them. Her body stiffened, and her spark began to race as the moment registered within her. The only Autobot she needed in the room was right here, heading towards her, and a mixture of emotions broke down inside of her.

Ratchet moved out of the way as Bumblebee neared Lilly, and the young mech brought her into a tight hug. Lilly choked a sob as she felt his arms wrap around her, and it felt so _real_. He no longer needed his holoform to be with her, no longer need to be a person that he was not. She could now love him for how he truly is, not some handsome human that wasn't even real.

"Bee," Lilly whispered, wrapping her arms around his torso. It felt so strange being able to hug the sixteen foot mech, and not just be barely hugging his finger or neck. She could finally wrap her arms around his entire body. The contact between them felt so different, like little sparks were bouncing off of their metal. It was _electrifying_ , and she loved it.

Ratchet coughed, ending the moment between the two of them. Bumblebee gave a glare to the medic, but parted from Lilly and smiled. "I missed you," he said, and Lilly chuckled.

"I was gone for probably a few hours only," she said, and a playful smile creeped across his lip plates.

"Actually," Ratchet interrupted, stepping towards the berth, "He has been in here at least every hour. You have been asleep for about ten hours." Lilly raised her optic ridges, and Bumblebee shrugged.

"I have anxiety about her being kidnapped again. What can I say?"

"You were visiting me _every_ hour?" Lilly asked, smirking.

"Why wouldn't I? Lils, you have been captured twice in one week. I try not to let you out of my sight," he said, determination across his faceplates. Lilly chuckled, but turned to look at Ratchet when the medic gave another cough to grab her attention. He was raising an optic ridge at them, his gaze fixed on the femme. "I am not the happiest with you," he said sternly, and Lilly blinked incredulously.

"Why?" she asked.

"You disobeyed my orders, and didn't stay put when I told you to. You could have gotten yourself killed!" he yelled, and Lilly shrunk in fear. She had completely forgotten about that.

"I'm sorry, I really am! I just wanted to make sure everyone was alright," she muttered, feeling like the attack had been her fault in the first place. "I didn't know that they wanted to find me."

"Lilly, we all care about you. I should have realized that the Decepticons would be looking for you because of your Allspark energy, but before I knew it, it was too late. You scared Bumblebee and everyone else at this base," he said, his tone a lot more gentle than before.

"I never mean to worry you guys. But, if I hadn't been there, Bee would be killed!" she said.

"That brings me to the point. We want to know what happened back there," the medic replied. She gave a small nod, and turned to face Bumblebee, squeaking once again when he pulled her into a hug. A warm smile crossed her lip plates, and she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Lilly, I want to know one thing," Bumblebee said, pulling out of their hug. He held onto Lilly's servos to keep her steady, but looked her in the optics. "Why were you acting so strange yesterday?" Lilly bit her lip plate, shocked that it had not even been more than 12 hours that she was in the hands of the Decepticons. She glanced at Ratchet, who was looking at her curiously, his arms folded over his chassis.

"I, um, well… I woke up with a strange metal growing on my stomach where the gashes had been. I was scared that you guys would be super concerned, so I tried to avoid you so that you wouldn't notice," she confessed. "I'm sorry. I was really scared, and didn't know what was happening to me."

"Lilly, you could have told us. Of course we would have been concerned, but I'm sure we would've worked it out," Bumblebee said softly, tilting her chin so that she would look at him. "I want you to know that what you did wasn't right. We were worried about you, but we just want you to promise to tell us things like that next time, okay?" He was scolding her like a little child, making her feel more awful than she had. She merely nodded, turning to Ratchet as he began to speak.

"I am going to assemble a meeting with everyone, and I mean everyone. We need to know what has happened to you and why," the medic said, and Lilly gave a nod. Optimus entered the room, along with a few Autobots, who had attended a meeting about increased security around the base. They were chatting amongst themselves when their optics fell on Lilly, stopping in their tracks.

"A femme?" Jolt said, shaking his helm. A smile crossed Arcee's faceplates, and she smirked, nudging the blue mech with her elbow.

"Finally, somebot who will understand what I'm going though," she joked. "Although, who is she? That femme's unfamiliar." Optimus walked to them, his gaze fixed upon the femme as well.

"That is Lilly," he said, and Jolt and Arcee shook their helms in shock. They had heard about Lilly returning, but didn't know she wasn't a human anymore.

Hearing her name, Lilly turned around unsteadily, Bumblebee holding her steady. Her faceplates lit up when she saw Jolt and Arcee, giving them a friendly wave.

"Hi guys!" she called, grinning when Jolt, Arcee, and Optimus came to a stop near her. Arcee smiled widely, her helm tilted so she could easily look at the taller femme.

"Lilly, wow. You look amazing!" she said, and a faint blue tint appeared on Lilly's faceplates.

"Thanks! I know you probably have a ton of questions, but I will answer them soon. I think there's supposed to be a meeting," she said, looking around with uncertainty.

"Actually, Optimus commed us and asked if we could meet in the hangar," Jolt said, motioning around the large room. Lilly looked around, letting out a small gasp as she noticed soldiers and Autobots entering. The majority were staring at Lilly, most likely wondering who she was.

"Everyone, please gather around," Optimus ordered, and a small murmur appeared as everyone shuffled to form a circle around Lilly, Optimus, and Bumblebee. Optimus turned, lifting his arm towards Lilly, a single digit pointing at her. "Please tell us what has happened," he said gently, and Lilly cleared her vocal processor.

"Well," she said, shifting her optics to each and every individual in the room. "I was captured by a Decepticon as all of you probably knew. I fell unconscious within minutes, and I… I talked to Primus once again." The room was silent, and Lilly was glad to see that everyone had their full attention on her.

"He told me it was time for me to reveal my powers, and for my true form to emerge. I actually was able to see him." A few whispers could be heard, and Mudflap spoke up.

"Ya saw da one and only Primus? But how?" he asked, clearly dumbfounded.

"Yeah, what did he look like?" Skids demanded, staring at the taller femme in a curious way. She turned to look at the twins.

"He was incredibly tall. I'm guessing over seventy feet. He was amazing, and had navy armor and was carrying a staff and a shield. I was awestruck," she answered. Skids and Mudflap nodded, satisfied with her response.

"He then told me that I wasn't born a human. I had no idea what he was talking about, and a screen appeared out of nowhere with a small sparkling. She happened to be me," Lilly muttered, and Bumblebee put a servo on her shoulder.

"So, you're saying that you were… born a Cybertronian?" the yellow mech asked, and Lilly nodded.

"I am not a human, I'm from your race. Primus chose me as the one who would go to Earth as a human infant and supposedly save the planet. I'm adopted, although my parents never told me I was. Primus told me that I would turn out to be a strong femme, and be protective of others. He showed me a femme, that happened to be me," Lilly motioned to herself, and the majority of the Autobots couldn't help but stare. She was an attractive femme, much different than any others they had seen. The way she stood up tall, her metal skirt flowing when she turned, was captivating to anyone or anybot that watched.

"He showed me my powers. I have a jetpack, can transform into a human, and can shoot Allspark energy from my cannon," she continued, and a few people piped up with the same question.

"Show us how you become a human!" Lilly nodded, and closed her optics, and a mixture of "oohs" and "aahs" came from the crowd as she shrunk into the same person she had always been. Dark brown hair, deep, blue eyes, she hadn't changed a bit. Lennox walked up to her.

"You said a while ago about something called The Orb of Darkness. How are you supposed to destroy it?" he asked, and Lilly could only shrug.

"He said the time will come when I know. I mean, I don't even know where it is, and how I'm supposed to destroy it. I'm just the "Chosen One" I guess," she said, hugging herself tightly. She suddenly felt fearful of the unknown, and the dependance Earth had on her if she was to succeed or not. The human race could fall to extinction if she failed.

Bumblebee noticed the sudden change in her behavior, the protective and caring side of him emerging. "We'll be by your side every second of it," he said softly, and Lilly looked up, giving him a small smile. She transformed into her true self, and threw her arms around Bumblebee.

"Thank you," she whispered quietly, so only the yellow mech could hear it. Bumblebee nodded, and they parted. Sideswipe wheeled to her, and Lilly felt strange being around the same height as him.

"I'll make sure you get to destroy The Orb. You have my word," he said, and Lilly gave a grateful smile. A few more Autobots walked forwards, giving their own promises to Lilly. Soon, the whole room erupted into a chant, everyone saying Lilly's name.

She spun in a circle, her name the only sound she heard in her audio receptors. It was the first time in a while she had felt truly loved and accepted, and nothing made her feel so free.

She had finally found her true family.

 **––––––––––**

"Where is she!?" Tori demanded, shifting anxiously on Jolt's servo. The blue mech gazed down at her, rolling his optics.

"Victoria, I told you, she is fine," he replied, entering the Autobot hangar. Tori gazed over the top of his servo, scanning the ground.

"I don't see her!" she practically shouted.

"She's here," Jolt replied. Tori looked up, scanning the Autobots. Something stood out to her, and she recognized a new Autobot was standing near Bumblebee and Sideswipe. The body shape suggested it was a female, and the back of it faced Tori.

"Who's that?" the girl asked, and Jolt started walking towards the unfamiliar femme.

"Time to find out," he said in a mysterious tone, and Tori all of a sudden felt nervous. Was this a trick?

The femme and two mechs glanced at Jolt as he neared, and Tori looked up worriedly.

"Um, excuse me?" she piped up, and the new femme looked down to Tori, her optics widening slightly before returning to normal. A wide smile crossed her faceplates, leaving Tori very confused. Why was she smiling when she hadn't even met her? "Who are you?" she asked hesitantly.

"You know me," the femme replied softly, and Tori froze. The voice belonged to Lilly.

"Are you sure?" Tori said, her eyes scanning the femme's body. She looked like a goddess to Tori, her figure curvy yet powerful.

"I'm very sure," she replied. "We spent only a week in college together, remember?" Tori felt so shocked, she almost tumbled off of Jolt's servo if it were not for him steadying her with his other.

"L-Lilly?" Tori stuttered. The Autobot nodded, and lifted her servo near Jolt. Tori eyed it warily, and climbed on, gripping a digit tightly.

"Well this is new," Lilly said, "I've never carried someone before." Tori laughed, and shook her head in amazement.

"Lilly, how did this happen to you? Where did my human friend go?" Lilly shook her helm.

"I never was really a human. You see, I was born on Cybertron, the planet the Autobots are from. But Primus, the Cybertronian god, chose me as the one that would destroy a dangerous artifact here on Earth. He sent me here as an infant and I was adopted, and I have finally become my true self," Lilly said. She bit her lip plates in a nervous way. "Do… Do you like the change?"

Tori was shocked to see Lilly afraid. She had always been so brave, and to see her acting like this made Tori feel awful inside. "Lilly, you'll always be my friend no matter what. I told you we would get through this together, even if you are now a giant robot. A very _pretty_ giant robot," she added, and Lilly smiled happily.

"Thanks, Tori," she said, bringing her friend close to her faceplates. Tori wrapped her arms around Lilly's face, feeling the warmth radiating from the smooth metal. She released her face, and Lilly put Tori on Jolt's servo.

"I need to go find an alt form, but I'll see you later," Lilly said, waving as she walked away with Sideswipe and Bumblebee. Tori noticed how close Lilly walked next to Bumblebee, and a grin was plastered across her face as remembered Lilly telling her about their kiss.

"What are you smiling about?" Jolt asked, placing Tori on his shoulder.

"Oh, nothing," Tori lied, still grinning.

 **––––––––––**

Lilly had never felt so free in her life. She whooped as she felt the wind against her cool metal, the hard ground pulsating beneath her tires. Who knew being a car could be so fun?

The blue Ferrari 458 Spider flew down the highway, the engine roaring as it weaved in and out of traffic. Lilly grinned to herself as a Camaro was on her tail, horns honking at the pair as they nearly hit every single vehicle they passed.

:You know, you're not a bad driver for a new Autobot: Bumblebee commed Lilly, and she snorted to herself.

:It's surprisingly much easier than walking, I'll tell you that: She put her right blinker on as she got off at an exit, Bumblebee pulling to the side of her when they waited at a red light.

:You excited to start training with Ironhide?:

:No, I'm probably going to die: Lilly said sarcastically.

:Love the confidence, you should really be a motivational speaker: Bumblebee revved his engine in a playful way.

Lilly revved her own engine, much louder and more powerful than the friend beside her. Other drivers nearby couldn't help but stare, and an accident almost happened when two cars nearly ran into each other while their drivers were distracted watching the shiny and beautiful Ferrari.

It had been a week since Lilly arrived back at the base, and in that time frame she finally began adjusting to being an Autobot. Walking had taken some time for her to master, and she still had trouble maintaining balance while running. She had learned to transform her arm into a cannon, but hadn't practiced firing it yet.

:I'm serious though. How will I ever be a good soldier?: Lilly asked, driving forwards when the light turned green.

:Lils, you're the reincarnation of Primus! You'll probably be the strongest femme in Cybertronian history:

If Lilly could, she would roll her optics. :Yeah, and it took me a whole week to perfect the art of walking. I will definitely be the best of them all:

:You'll always be the best to me: Bumblebee stated, and Lilly felt her systems heating in embarrassment.

:Now that I'm able to, I'll try my best to be by your side in fights, Bee. I'll protect you: Lilly wanted to stay true to her word. She was willing to sacrifice herself for anyone, particularly for one of the most important mechs in her life.

:Protect me?: Bumblebee repeated.

:Yes: Lilly replied, turning onto a dirt path that led into the woods. She moaned to herself, she would need to go in the carwash to get the dust off of her soon. She _hated_ not being spotless.

Soon, they reached a path that led into an open field surrounded by trees and hidden from any unwanted eyes, a perfect place for them to spend time together. Transforming, the two walked to the field, enjoying the cool, night air.

Lilly stretched her body, venting air out of her system. It had been so strange not needing oxygen to stay alive, something that had taken her a while to get used to. Bumblebee stretched as well, chuckling as Lilly walked towards him.

"You know what?" he asked, and she raised an optic ridge.

"What?" she repeated, giving a smirk.

"I finally have somebot my age," he said. He had always felt so alone being the youngest Autobot left, for the war had taken his childhood away. Lilly was the only one who allowed him to find happiness once more.

"You're right," she said, poking him on the nose. A giggle escaped her lip plates, and Bumblebee shook his helm. "I just can't believe that I'll be living for a lot longer than a human."

Bumblebee moved closer to her, and Lilly squeaked when he lifted her off of the ground. "Bee!" she said, laughing. "Put me down!" He obliged, placing her back on the ground, but his servos still remained at her side.

"I have been wondering," he said, getting lost in her ocean blue optics, "are we, what's the human term, 'dating'?" Lilly's optics widened, the thought never occurring to her. She leaned in close to him, and nodded.

"I guess you could say so," she muttered softly. Her spark fluttered when the mech pulled her close to him. He cupped her faceplates in his servos, leaning his forehead against hers. His optics were trained on hers, and a look of concern fell across his faceplates.

"You know Lilly, you said Primus wants you to destroy The Orb. What will happen to you?" he asked gently.

"I don't know, all of my powers will probably be expelled or something," she said.

A hard look fell upon Bumblebee's faceplates, his optics turning an icy blue color. Lilly noticed this, and felt his servos tense around her.

"Bee? What's going on?" she asked, touching his faceplates softly.

"If your powers are expelled," he said, leaning back so he could look at her. "Would that harm you?" Lilly had never thought about this. If destroying The Orb was her destiny, would it kill her in the process? Take whatever was left of her energy to save the world? Whatever would happen, it was worth it.

"I don't know. Probably, I mean it could kill me," she said honestly, and Bumblebee shook his helm.

"No, I'm _not_ letting you kill yourself! I'm not gonna lose you!" he cried, his voice wavering.

"Bee, it's my destiny," Lilly said, gazing at him. "It's gonna be okay." He looked at her, and pulled her closer to him.

"I can't…" he trailed off, holding her close. She leaned against his strong form, sighing. "I can't live without you. I _need_ you." Those two sentences made Lilly's spark tighten, and she squeezed her optics shut as she hugged him tighter.

"I need you too," she whispered, pulling away so she could look at him. "But, I want you to promise me one thing. If I die, you _have_ to keep going. For me." He slowly nodded.

"I'm not gonna let that happen, though," he muttered. "Lilly, these past two years have been the best of my life. You are like a ray of sunshine, and have brightened my life more than you could ever know. And I fell for you, I fell for your gentleness, your happiness, and your kind personality. I fell for _you_. No other femme could have captured my spark, because you stole it." Lilly blinked, in awe at Bumblebee's confession. He was gazing at her, waiting for a response. Her spark was pulsing, and felt so strange as it seemed to _reach_ for Bumblebee. She couldn't explain the feeling.

"So, if another femme were to appear now, much more incredible and beautiful than me, would you fall for her instead?" Lilly teased, smirking.

"No, because my spark has already chosen _you_." Lilly froze, the words sinking into her like an anchor. His spark had chosen her. She was his. A feeling of happiness overcame Lilly, her spark beating rapidly. She threw her arms around Bumblebee, nuzzling closer to him. He held her close, and leaned his helm down to kiss her. She closed her optics, her spark fluttering in her chassis as she deepened the kiss. It felt electrifying, this time more powerful than a simple hug.

They broke apart, grinning happily at each other. "Better than a human kiss?" Bumblebee asked.

"Definitely," Lilly replied. She leaned up to kiss him again, this time longer.

 **––––––––––**

 **AWWWWW! I love writing fluff, it is SO much fun! Especially with Bumblebee and Lilly, I think they are an adorable pairing xD**

 **Please leave a review, they are very appreciated! Until next time!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	27. A Long-Awaited Call

**Hello, my lovely readers! I'm so happy to finally update this story, it's been so long! Thank you for being patient! School has been so stressful, and I've been having trouble coming up with story ideas... It's all a big mess.**

 **Thanks for the amazing reviews! I seriously love them, they always put a smile on my face!**

 **Skyelover101: Thank you so much, Skye! I won't give up on it, don't worry ;) I love your name, btw!**

 **saiyan angel blue: Thanks! I love all the fluff, it's so adorable!**

 **Nina2814: I loved the movie so much! Glad you saw it, I'm a huge fan of TMR series. Glad you liked the chapter :D**

 **Answerthecall: Thank you! :)**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: Thank you very much! I do like Lilly and Bee as a couple- I think they really fit. I love all of your support, thank you. :)**

 **SunnySidesFemme: Her alt mode is a little crazy but I looked it up and was like, "THIS SHALL BE LILLY!" xD Thank you so much, I'm so happy you really like my story! Your support is so helpful! Your reviews always make me smile and brighten my day!**

 **geekforgreek: I'm not sure if you remembered, but in one of my recent-ish chapters Lilly tells Tori about talking to her parents. Also, your question will be answered in this one (sorry about any confusion)! Thank you so much for the review! :D**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 25: A Long-Awaited Call**

 **––––––––––**

"I don't want to."

"Lilly, you have to."

"No! Don't touch me!"

Bumblebee was in the process of getting Lilly off her berth, who was tiredly swinging her servo at the mech. He chuckled, avoiding her moving arms as he snatched one of her servos in his. She squeaked, her optics widening as she realized the danger of the situation, and she moved her other servo to the one trapped in Bumblebee's, yanking to release it. Bumblebee grabbed the other one, giving a triumphant "Ah-ha!" once both her servos had been caught.

"No, Bee!" she retorted as he pulled her off of the berth into a standing position. He smirked at her, and began to drag her out of her room.

"Today is the first day of training, you know you can't avoid Ironhide," Bumblebee said, pulling her to his side to walk next to. She yanked her right servo from his, but made no effort to release the other one as they walked down the hallway. Bumblebee noticed this, and grinned happily at the femme, who blushed in return, her inner temperature rising slightly.

"Is someone nervous?" he asked, wincing as he received a slap on the arm.

"I kind of am, actually. What if I fail miserably? I've never shot a gun in my life!" Lilly cried, slamming the palm of her servo to her faceplates.

"It's not hard. You'll learn quickly," Bee said, leading the two to the training room. He released Lilly's servo, who frowned in return as he spun her around in front of the door. "Good luck," he said, and Lilly vented.

"Thanks," she almost whispered, and Bumblebee pulled her towards him and kissed her quickly. A flutter of happiness flowed through Lilly, sending a slight shiver down her body. He released her, a smirk across his handsome faceplates as he walked away, leaving Lilly alone in front of the door.

She watched him turn a corner before spinning back towards the door, biting her lip plate. She slowly pushed it open, walking into the large room. Ironhide was in the back, adjusting his cannons, and looked up when he heard Lilly enter. He gave a curt nod, transforming his cannons back into his arms, and walked over to where Lilly had stopped.

"Hey, kiddo," he said, and she lifted her faceplates into a smile. "My processor can't understand how much you've fraggin' changed. Wow," he muttered, his optics drifting up and down her body.

"I know, it's strange, huh? That I've been one of you all these years?" Lilly questioned. Ironhide nodded, and motioned for her to follow him. They stopped next to a button on the wall, which Ironhide pressed, and three large targets emerged from the floor. Lilly's optics widened, and her mouth fell open.

"Woah," she breathed, and Ironhide grinned.

"Let's see how good of a shooter you are," he said, motioning towards the target. Lilly transformed her arm into a high-tech looking cannon, and pointed it towards the target. She focused on the solid surface, and commanded herself to shoot. Miraculously, her cannon fired, and a large, glowing blue substance flew threw the air and hit the target. Like lava, it covered the target, and within seconds it had almost disintegrated. Both Ironhide and Lilly were shocked as the target disappeared into nothingness.

"Uhhhhhhh…" Lilly trailed off, turning around to face the black mech beside her.

"What in the _pit_ just happened?!" he said, his face still frozen in shock. "What kind of cannon is that?"

Lilly gulped, her inner temperature rising from embarassment. "I think Primus said it's Allspark energy."

Instead of screaming at her, Ironhide slowly nodded. "Makes sense, especially since you _are_ his reincarnation. Is there a way you can possibly lower the intensity?" he asked, and Lilly glanced at her cannon. There was a switch with two sides, one reading "Allspark" and the other reading "Standard Ammunition".

"Here," the femme said, pointing to the switch. Ironhide looked at it, and moved it so it faced the Standard Ammunition side.

"That should make your weapon less… deadly," the black mech said, and Lilly cracked a smile.

"I'm really sorry about that," she apologized, and Ironhide shrugged.

"Whatever happens, happens. I know you didn't do it on purpose," he muttered, giving Lilly a small smile. "Try the next target." Lilly turned to face the targets, and aimed her cannon steadily at one of them. She narrowed her optics, focusing her processor on the bullseye, and commanded herself to shoot. Her cannon fired, hitting the bullseye with great accuracy.

"Yes!" Lilly cheered, pumping her servo into the air. Ironhide had a shocked expression across his faceplates, and Lilly turned to face him, grinning.

"You don't have a bad aim, femme," he muttered, and Lilly bowed.

"Thank you, thank you, I know I'm amazing," she said, giggling in the process. Ironhide rolled his optics, and pointed at the last target standing.

"Let's see if you can get three in a row," he said, and Lilly nodded.

"I'll give it my best shot," she replied.

 **––––––––––**

Tori walked to the cafeteria, waving at soldiers as she passed by them. A familiar African American came into view, and the girl grinned, waving enthusiastically.

"Epps!" Tori called, smiling brightly.

"Hey, Tori," Epps said, grinning like always. He stopped as he neared her, and gave her a friendly hug. "You doing anything today?"

"Oh, I don't know," Tori muttered, releasing Epps from the hug. "Lilly said she had something planned, but knowing her, it might be something _crazy_ ," she said, laughing.

"I'm sure she'll have something very interesting planned," Epps said. "Now I have a meeting to go to, you have a fun day today, alright?" Tori nodded and Epps walked away, whistling a song to himself. Tori continued to the cafeteria, and paused as she saw someone familiar in the distance. The holoform of Jolt was heading toward her, seeming to be in a rush. His bright blue eyes came in contact with her own, and he broke out into a run.

"Hey, Jolt!" Tori exclaimed, giving her Guardian a hug. "Are you alright?" She backed up so she could face him, and Jolt looked at her, his eyes staring at her gently.

"Everything's fine," he said, giving her a smile. "Just got back from patrol, and I was looking for you."

"Well that's nice of you," Tori said, glancing down the hallway. "But why were you looking for me in such a rush?" Jolt grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the cafeteria so they could walk while having a conversation.

"Ever since the Decepticons attacked the base, I've been worried that somehow you would be kidnapped without anyone noticing," he replied. Tori looked up, a smile crossing her face.

"You're that worried about me?" she asked.

"My guardian instincts make me do crazy things," Jolt said, laughing to himself. "Since your species is so fragile, I have learned to make sure nothing bad happens to you."

"I don't think anything bad will happen to me," Tori replied. She paused, her face becoming serious, and pulled Jolt off to the side of the hallway, standing close to him. "But, life is short. And from what I've learned, your life is, well, a lot longer than ours. We learn to live in the moment," Tori said softly, motioning to the humans around her. "Our life can be taken away from us at any moment's time. That's why we try to live with no regrets. I don't regret meeting you." She stared up at her Guardian, to find him looking back at her. He smiled, but the way his eyes looked somewhat distant concerned Tori.

"I know," he said quietly. "That's what I'm afraid of. That you'll be stolen from the world." Tori shrugged, trying to lighten the mood.

"Whatever happens, happens," she said, giving his hand a squeeze. "But I'm super hungry, can I go get food?" Jolt smiled, nodding his head.

"Of course," he replied, and they continued to walk towards the cafeteria, lost in a conversation in which Tori was laughing hysterically.

 **––––––––––**

Lilly walked down the hallways, fiddling with her cannon. She had completed the training with Ironhide for the day, and soon she would be able to take Tori out to do something fun for a change. She had entered the hangar, when she heard someone call her name. Glancing in the direction it was coming from, she spotted Lennox waving his arm in the air, motioning for her to come over.

"What is it?" she asked as she neared the Major.

"It's your parents," he replied, revealing a phone to her. Lilly stepped back, slightly shocked that her parents wanted to talk to her. She hadn't spoken to them for a few weeks. She transformed into a human, and ran up the cat-walk, taking the phone from Lennox.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Lilly!" The sound of her mother's voice cried over the phone, and Lilly fought hard not to let tears into her eyes.

"Mom," she said, a small smile crossing her face.

"Honey, your father and I have been so worried about you! We were informed about the college attack, so many students died, I was so afraid you were one of them…" Her mother trailed off. Lilly let out a deep breath, wishing her mom could know the real reason why there was an attack.

"I know, Mom. But I'm okay, for the most part… Just a little shaken up. Bee's taking great care of me here at NEST," she replied, walking back and forth on the cat-walk. Lennox watched her with a careful eye, paying attention to the mixture of emotions displayed across the girl's face.

"Major Lennox has told your father and I that, sweetie. We want to come visit you, just for a day. I've been so anxious to see my beautiful daughter!" Lilly glanced at Lennox, who in return raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why don't I just come visit you?" Lilly asked. She immediately regretted what she said, as she understood the real reason why she couldn't go. It was too dangerous for a rookie Autobot like her.

"I tried to convince them, but they wouldn't allow it. So, as a compromise, your father and I are coming to see you," her mother said. Lilly bit her lip, and shook her head in frustration. She would have no choice but to tell her "parents" that they were not her own, and how hurt she was that they had lied to her all these years. To add to that, how would they react when they found out their daughter wasn't a real human, rather a fourteen foot robot?

"I'll see you soon, then," Lilly replied.

"We are flying to Washington D.C. tomorrow. Can't wait to see you, Lils. We love you!" Lilly clenched her teeth as she hung up, instead of replying with an "I love you, too!". Her parents had lied to her, and she felt betrayed.

"You okay?" Lennox asked, walking up to Lilly. She handed him the phone, sighing heavily.

"Not really. How will my parents react when they find out about my true self?" she asked, hugging her body tightly.

"They'll either support you, or be shocked. Either way, we'll always be on your side, Lilly. You're accepted here for who you are now, not who you were in your past. If your parents can't see that, than I don't know what to say," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. The girl looked up to him, tears in her eyes. "You're part of _our_ family now."

A smile crossed Lilly's face as he said that, a single tear falling down her cheek. "Thanks, Lennox." She leaned forward and hugged the Major, who was like a father figure to her. He hugged her back, squeezing her gently. They parted, and Lennox grinned.

"Now, go off and have fun today. Forget about your parents arriving soon," he said, lightly pushing Lilly towards the stairs. She laughed, stumbling shortly before regaining her balance.

"I'll be sure to do that. See you, Lennox!" she called, bounding down the stairs before jogging to the cafeteria, where she expected Tori to be.

 **––––––––––**

"Lilly!" Tori crashed into her friend's arms, and buried her face into her shoulder. Lilly stumbled backwards, almost running into a soldier walking by.

"Sorry!" she called out, before looking back to the girl in front of her. "You need to be more careful," she told Tori, before letting out a laugh.

"I apologize, but it feels like _forever_ since I've seen you as a human! Do you know how strange that is?" Tori asked and glanced at Jolt, who was standing beside them, a grin across his face.

"Yeah, I know, it's strange. Listen, I was wondering if you would like to go shopping today?" Lilly asked, and Tori's face brightened.

"Are you serious?" Tori asked, her eyes wide. "I would love to! I mean, it's not like we've been planning it for weeks now," she said, grinning.

"The day of the attack we said we would go soon, then when I get back we say we would go, and I get kidnapped again," Lilly said, shaking her head. "I'm like a bad luck charm."

"No you're not," Tori replied, lightly tapping Lilly's arm. "Can we go right now, actually?"

"Sure," Lilly said, turning to face Jolt. "Is it alright if I take her from you for a little while?" For some reason, a blue tint creeped across Jolt's face, and he shook his head.

"No, go ahead. Just make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

"Hey!" Tori yelled, punching Jolt's arm. He smirked at her, and shrugged.

"Just gotta warn Lilly," he said, and Tori glared at him.

"Come on, let's go," Tori muttered, pulling Lilly towards the exit of the cafeteria. They waved goodbye to Jolt, who smiled in return.

Within minutes they were in Lilly's alt form, the gleaming Ferrari 458 Spider's engine rumbling loudly. Tori was in shock, running her hands over the smooth surface of the metal.

"Holy crap," she breathed, shaking her head in awe. "Lilly, this is a stunning car." The Ferrari shook as Lilly laughed, her voice appearing through the radio.

"This stunning car is _me_ , Tori. Glad you like me, it means a lot," she said. "Now, hop in!" Tori climbed into the passenger seat, grinning widely. The leather seats were incredible, and everything about the Ferrari screamed high-tech. The seat belt fastened over Tori, making her scream in fright.

"Woah! What just happened?" she shouted, her eyes wide in surprise. Lilly continued to laugh, the frame shaking once again.

"I put the seatbelt over you," she replied, and Tori glanced at the belt across her chest once more.

"This feels _so_ weird, you know, sitting inside of my friend," Tori said. Her face paled, and she covered her face in embarrassment. "God, that sounded extremely wrong!" Lilly moved forward, driving out of the hangar into the sunlight.

"You're right, that did sound very wrong," Lilly said. Her holoform appeared in the driver's seat, making Tori jump.

"Can you stop that? At least give me a warning before you do something bizarre," the girl said, and she shook her head. "I swear I'm going to have a heart attack."

"Sorry," Lilly apologized, and glanced at Tori, "but I need my holoform in this seat so I don't freak out anyone staring at me." As soon as she said that, she entered the main street, people on the sidewalks already staring at her in awe. Some pointed, others took out their phones and snapped pictures, showing them excitedly to their friends. Tori smiled and waved, glad for some attention.

"They can't see you," Lilly muttered, chuckling lightly. Tori turned her head and stared at her friend, feeling confused.

"But I thought you said you had the holoform in case someone saw no one in the seat?"

"That's simply a precaution," Lilly answered. "My windows are extremely tinted, it's almost impossible to see in from far away."

"I don't get it, but whatever," Tori replied. A smirk crossed her face. "Can you show me how fast you can go once we get to the highway?" Lilly stared at her, her mouth open, a fire in her eyes. Her lips turned into a grin, and she nodded.

"It would be my pleasure," she said. And with that, the Ferrari sped on down the road.

 **––––––––––**

"Where are we going?" Tori asked, leaning forward in her seat so she could see out of the window better.

"Bumblebee and I's favorite spot to chill," Lilly replied. "It's a beautiful place with an incredible view over the city. You'll love it!" Tori smiled, glancing at the shopping bags in the backseat.

"Thanks for taking me to the mall again," she said.

"It was so much fun! I haven't gone to a mall for months," Lilly muttered, pushing a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Oh! Here we are!" She pulled to a stop near the large tree on the hill, and Tori climbed out.

"The coast is clear!" Tori shouted, and Lilly transformed, stretching her limbs.

"Man, being stuck in alt form sometimes sucks," she said, and Tori giggled.

"I bet it does. You gonna turn into a human?" she asked. Lilly nodded and transformed once again to her human form, Tori watching the process in awe. It was like magic– a robot turning into a real human with blood, tears, and sweat.

"Come on," Lilly said, motioning for Tori to follow. The two girls headed for the crest of the hill, their shoes crunching on the grass. Tori was humming her favorite song when Lilly suddenly collapsed in front of her.

"Lilly!" Tori screamed, her heart beating rapidly in panic. She kneeled next to her friend, shaking the unconscious girl. "Wake up! What's happening?" she cried. Tori leaned her head against Lilly's chest, hearing the steady thumping of her spark, relieving the girl slightly.

She bit her lip, looking around for someone to help. Not a single human being was to be found, so she pulled her cellphone out, shakily dialing Lennox's number. She propped Lilly's head onto her knees, and held onto one of her hands tightly.

"Hello?" Lennox asked.

"Lennox, this is Tori. Oh God…" She trailed off, having trouble speaking.

"Tori? Is something wrong?" Lennox questioned, sounding worried.

"Yes, it's Lilly! I don't know what's going on, but she just… just collapsed!" she cried, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Where are you?"

"I don't know, Lilly brought me here. It's a hill with a view of the city, Lilly said that Bee took her here," Tori answered.

"We'll be there as soon as we can, got it? Everything's going to be okay," Lennox reassured the girl. Tori nodded, and hung up, staring at Lilly while grasping the unconscious girl's hand.

"Please be okay," she whispered.

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 **I feel kind of iffy about this chapter, since it skips around. I just wanted to get all of it out of my head, and this is what came up xD I hope you guys like the little cliffie at the end, sorry if it bothers you!**

 **I'm trying to decide if Tori and Jolt should be a couple. Like not the main focus couple, but on the side. I'm not entirely sure, what do you guys think? I also realized it's taking FOREVER to get to The Orb of Darkness, so sorry about that! I have stretched out the story way too long, now it's time to get to the action and plot!**

 **Thank you for all of the favorites and follows! You guys make me so happy! Don't forget to leave a review, they really help out the story! Until next time :)**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	28. Footsteps

**Sorry for the long amount of time it has taken for me to update! It's almost been a month, I have been extremely busy with homework.**

 **41 favorites and 39 followers? You guys are awesome! I can't thank you enough for the continuous support, it truly helps my story grow. I also received 70 visitors on my last chapter, which means so many people are following and reading my story! Once again, thank you. :)**

 **Now, for the reviews:**

 **AutobotGuy710: You changed your username! :O (I like it!) It was an interesting ending. Thank you very much!**

 **Nina2814: Thank you for the feedback, I'll definitely keep that in mind! Sorry about the cliffhanger, I enjoy writing them xP You might be right... Great guess, haha!**

 **ZabuzasGirl: Thank you so much! Sorry for the time it has taken to update :/**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

 **––––––––––**

 **Chapter 26: Footsteps**

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Bumblebee walked through the hallways, heading towards the main hangar. The sound of human footsteps alarmed him, and he glanced down, spotting Major Lennox running towards him, Epps at his side.

"Bee!" Lennox panted, looking up at the yellow mech. "Where have you taken Lilly before?" Bumblebee felt confused, but answered steadily.

"A hill near the city… Is something wrong?" Lennox nodded, motioning for Bumblebee to follow him as he broke out into a jog.

"We just got a call from Tori," he said, "Lilly has fallen unconscious at the hill." Optics widening fearfully, Bumblebee quickly walked in front of the two soldiers, careful not to step on them like humans would a small insect.

"Are you serious?" he said, panic laced in his voice. "Primus, when will the horrors with her stop?" They entered the hangar, where both soldiers and Autobots were looking at them curiously.

Bumblebee transformed, opening his doors for Epps and Lennox. The two of them hopped in, and he sped out of the hangar entrance, not bothering to stop near the security post as he turned sharply onto the main road.

Within fifteen minutes, they had reached the hill where Lilly and Tori had went to, Bumblebee coming to an abrupt halt. He quickly sent his holoform out, running towards Tori kneeling on the ground. The girl whipped her head towards the sound of doors slamming shut, giving a small wave as the three men ran towards her.

Bumblebee kneeled next to Lilly, touching her face gently. Scanning her quickly, he found nothing wrong with her, filling him with relief.

"Find anything?" Lennox asked, kneeling next to the blonde holoform.

"No," Bumblebee shook his head. "She's fine, I'm not sure why she fell unconscious, though." He took Lilly from Tori's arms, and pulled her close as he lifted her. "Let's bring her back to base."

Tori sniffed, wiping her nose on her arm. Epps helped her up, giving her a warm smile. "She's gonna be okay," he said gently. "She's a fighter, always has been, always will be." Tori nodded, a smile crossing her face.

"You're right," she muttered, walking towards Bumblebee, who was putting Lilly into the back seat. She sat next to Lilly, and slowly rested the girl's head on her lap, while Epps accompanied her in keeping Lilly from moving. Lennox sat in the passenger seat, and Bumblebee's holoform disappeared, his engine roaring to life.

:Ratchet: He commed, his wheels spinning rapidly as he gained traction to the loose particles of dirt on the ground.

:Yes, Bumblebee?: Ratchet responded impatiently.

:Lilly has fallen unconscious in her human form… Her body is functioning properly, we have no idea as to why she hasn't waken yet: Bumblebee commed worriedly.

:Hm. I'll prepare a room for her in the Med Bay, if anything unusual starts to happen, let me know immediately:

:Thanks, Ratchet:

Bumblebee focused his attention back on the road, minding to check on the interior of his cabin a few times a minute. Lilly was yet to awaken, and Tori stared out the window, her head resting against the headrest, a tired expression upon her face. She yawned, and began to doze on and off, her head bobbing.

"It needs to stop," Bumblebee broke the silence. "I can't keep watching something bad happen to her almost every single week."

"You're right," Lennox said, glancing back at Epps for a moment, before turning his head forwards again. "From now on, we need someone to be keeping watch on her. We can't risk her falling unconscious, getting kidnapped, or finding trouble anymore."

Although Bumblebee wished Lilly could have more privacy, he had to face the fact that she needed protection throughout the day. He refused to keep worrying about her, afraid she would slip from the world at any given time.

And it had never angered him so much.

 **––––––––––**

The feeling of coldness crawling on her skin made Lilly shiver, as she was frightened by her unfamiliar surroundings. She was in complete darkness once again, and the silence of the endless black made the girl feel like the only person left in the world.

"Lilly," a deep voice spoke, and warmth filled her body at the sound of his words.

"Primus!" she exclaimed, a smile crossing her face. The optics of the great Cybertronian glowed faintly in the distance, and she laughed as her body was pulled closer to him.

"I am sorry to call upon you once again," Primus said, sighing heavily. "But I am afraid time is running out for The Orb of Darkness." Lilly's eyes widened, slightly taken aback.

"What do you mean? How am I supposed to know where it is!" she cried.

"You see, my child, the Decepticons are extremely close to discovering it. And once they do, there is no stopping them, without the help of you. You are my reincarnation, so you possess the power to detect the dark energy, and put an end to the awful artifact created by my descendants. Trust me, Lilly, your instincts will bring you to it," he said, and Lilly shuddered, the feeling of the weight of the world on her shoulders overcoming her once again.

"But," Primus added, "you must keep in mind what this artifact can do to any of the Autobots. If it touches them, they will not only turn into a Decepticon, but they will absorb the power of The Orb within them. I am not so sure that can easily be reversed."

"But… That shouldn't happen, right? Ironhide's been training me. I can help fight off the 'Cons," Lilly said.

"It can happen in any moment's time," Primus replied. Lilly pondered for a few seconds, when an idea struck her.

"Primus, when you said it is my destiny to destroy The Orb, do you mean I will… Well, die while doing it?" she asked hesitantly. The great Cybertronian stared at her, his crystal blue optics scanning her with an air of gentleness.

"I do not know," he said. "It could possibly happen, expelling all of your energy, but trust me, my child, you will _always_ come back to me."

"But what about Bumblebee? And the other Autobots?" she questioned.

"It _is_ your destiny. Sometimes fate calls upon us when we are not expecting it. That's why I have chosen you, Lilly. You hold the key to saving the planet, and your loved ones. I have seen it in you ever since you were created." Primus nodded at her, a faint smile crossing his large lip plates.

Lilly looked up at him, breathing softly. She glanced around the darkness, as if searching for an answer to all of her wonders, and turned back to face the god.

"Thank you," she said. "I will do my best. I won't fail you."

"You will never fail me," Primus responded. "I am already incredibly proud of how strong you are." Lilly smiled, for the first time in what felt like forever. A bright flash consumed her vision, and she felt her body drifting into the darkness, her mind slowly trailing behind.

 **––––––––––**

Bumblebee sat on the chair near the hospital bed, his eyes never leaving the closed ones of the girl lying on it. He opened his mouth to speak, but paused, closing his hand around her slightly cold one. Her chest rose up and down, giving the appearance that she was alright.

Although, he knew she truly was not.

He glanced at the door, wondering when Ratchet would come in to check on her. There was the faint sound of voices down the hallway, and Bumblebee stood up, walking over to the wooden door. Leaning his ear on it, he listened closely, the voices more distinct.

"–we going to do? There are more of them spotted each week! It is expected of you to figure this out!"

"Calm down," a man said. His voice was steady, and relaxed. "When she wakes up, we will ask her if she knows where it is."

"She said she didn't know where it was weeks ago!" The other man sounded panicked. "I'm sure if she had magically discovered its location, she would have–"

A slight groaning sound caught Bumblebee's attention, and he glanced back at the bed. A pair of deep, blue eyes were staring at him curiously, the owner of them giving a happy smile.

"Bee?" Lilly asked, giving a small cough. Bumblebee grinned widely, forgetting the people having what seemed to be an important conversation in the hallway. He hurried over to the side of the bed, and cupped Lilly's face in his hands, leaning his forehead to her own.

"Primus, you worried me so much," he muttered. He planted a kiss on her nose, and she laughed, grabbing his hand gently.

"I didn't mean to scare you," she said. "Primus spoke to me again."

Bumblebee sat on the edge of her bed.

"What did he say?"

"He warned me that time is running out for looking for The Orb of Darkness. I… I still have no clue where it could be. I mean, we know it must be out west, but where? Why is this all in my hands?" Tears began to fall down her cheeks. "The _world_ is depending on me. To destroy something that could ruin it in return. If I fail, billions of innocent people will die to tyrants. I can't let that happen," she whispered.

Bumblebee pulled her close to him, wiping the tears away. "I know you're scared. And you feel lonely. But we are _all_ here for you. Me, the Autobots, the soldiers, Tori, everyone. We know what you are expected of, but we won't let it get in the way. And I'm going to make sure nothing will happen to you ever again," he said softly.

Lilly looked up, a smile of gratitude crossing her lips. "I just don't want any of you to turn into a Decepticon. If you do… I couldn't live with myself."

"We won't," Bumblebee assured her. "We'll be careful." Lilly nodded, resting her head against his chest. Her stomach growled for food, and she rubbed her eyes weakly, exhaustion overcoming her. Bumblebee looked up the door, holding Lilly closer to her. The voices had gotten louder, now evident enough for Lilly to hear them.

"–and you must do that. I think I heard voices coming from in here," one of them said. The other let out a small laugh.

"She came here unconscious a day ago. Got a call from Tori, her friend. She keeps scaring the crap out of us. In fact, her parents should be here in a couple of hours." The doorknob began to twist.

"Might as well see if she's awake," the previous man commentated, and the door swung open, both of the men peering inside, their eyes widening.

"Oh no," Lilly gasped, huddling closer to Bumblebee. "Not him!"

 **––––––––––**

 **I feel like all my sections/chapters end with someone either waking up, falling asleep, or passing out. Probably shouldn't continue to do that xD**

 **PS: Don't forget to check out my new story, "Fix Your Heart"!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	29. New Hopes

**I have decided to put a word count limit on my stories, which is 2,000. I want to make my chapters longer, so they are more interesting and move well together! (Thank you Skyelover101 for this suggestion)**

 **Anyways, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Has anyone seen the new Mockingjay Part 2? I thought it was amazing! 3**

 **Thanks for the reviews:**

 **AutobotGuy710: That's fine xD Thank you very much!**

 **A-Mais-Pura-Preguica-do-mundo: Same with me. She sort of represents the kind of person I want to be, but is too afraid to. Here's the update, thank you so much for waiting!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 27: New Hopes**

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Lilly stared at the faces of Major Lennox and Director Galloway, the two men eyeing her carefully. Galloway stepped forward, his expression rushed and panicked looking. Lennox moved his eyes to gaze at the man in front of him, and stepped aside, closing the door carefully.

"Hello, Lilly," Galloway muttered, brushing nonexistent particles off of his suit. "I am well aware you know of the situation that is going on, as you are the one who told us about the enemy artifact."

"Yeah, well what do you want?" Lilly responded. She slid off the bed, giving Bumblebee a reassuring look as he reached out for her hand.

"Where is The Orb?" Galloway demanded harshly. "Aren't _you_ the one who is supposed to know the location of it?" He walked towards Lilly, his finger pointed stiffly at her chest.

"Back off!" Bumblebee snarled, immediately standing in front of Lilly. "She doesn't know where it is, don't you understand that?"

Galloway paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the blonde holoform. Bumblebee stood tall, his bright blue eyes keeping locked with the man's in front of him.

"Okay, stop it," Lennox said, separating the men.

Bumblebee slowly backed off, standing next to Lilly, lacing his fingers with hers. She took a deep breath, and nodded, mainly to remind herself that everything was going to be alright.

"Galloway, sir," she said, and the man turned to her, his annoyed expression not bothering her in the slightest way. "I know you are worried. So am I. I am beyond terrified… I have seen the power of The Orb of Darkness in my visions and dreams. It is extremely powerful, and has the ability to change an Autobot into a deadly Decepticon. But please, _please_ understand that I just don't _know_ where it is."

The Director maintained eye contact with Lilly, his lips pursed as if he was about to argue. Instead, he backed down, and gave a large sigh.

"I'm sorry. Members of NEST are becoming worried– they know what's out there. Not to mention the heightened amount of Decepticon attacks in the past couple of weeks. We need to know soon where this thing is, so we can plan how to handle and respond to the situation," Galloway replied.

Lilly gave a small smile at the kindness the Director was showing. At least it was something, compared to his bitter personality.

"Thank you," she said gently, and gave Bumblebee's hand a squeeze before sitting on the hospital bed.

"Alright, let's get going," Lennox said, opening the door. Galloway curtly nodded and followed, shutting the door behind him.

Lilly stared blankly at the wall, trying to form an image in her mind of where The Orb could possibly be.

"Hey," Bumblebee said, sitting down next to her. "You okay?" She nodded, moving her head slightly to look at him.

"I'm fine. Just trying to find out where it is, I guess." She shrugged, and shifted so she was closer to Bumblebee. He wrapped his arms around her, and brought her into his lap, burying his face into her soft hair.

Lilly leaned her cheek against his neck, feeling the stress begin to overwhelm her. She wasn't aware of her body shaking until Bumblebee lifted his head, his face inches from hers.

"You're shaking," he stated, a look of concern crossing his face. He pulled her even closer to him, hugged her gently.

"Yeah," she said, her voice muffled, as she was talking into his shoulder. "I'm stressed."

"We're going to find and destroy it," he reassured Lilly. "Remember, Primus will let you know where it is when the time is right. You'll see."

Lilly nodded, and felt her eyebrows drop. Her stomach was still protesting for food, but with the world of sleep luring her into its comfort, she let herself slip away, the breaths of Bumblebee fading as she fell into slumber.

 **––––––––––**

A sudden banging on her door awoke Lilly with a jolt, her chest heaving from panic. She whipped her head to look at the doorway, the sound refusing to stop.

"Lilly! Wake up!" A feminine voice came from the other side, and Lilly immediately recognized it to be Tori. A grin crossed her face, and she slid out of bed, opening the door.

"Hi," she said, smiling at the excited girl standing in the doorway. They threw their arms around each other, burying their faces into their shoulders.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Tori muttered, releasing Lilly as she stood back. "I was worried when you passed out right in front of me."

"I'm sorry to scare you," Lilly replied, frowning slightly. Tori shrugged, and gave a playful smile.

"It's alright," she said, pushing a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Just don't do it again."

Lilly gave a loud laugh, a smirk crossing her face.

"I'll try not to," she said.

"You _better_ ," Tori whispered, bursting into laughter.

The two girls continued to giggle as they made their way down to the cafeteria, the smell of bacon making their stomachs growl.

"Where are the boys?" Lilly asked, and Tori raised an eyebrow.

"The boys? Is that what you're calling them?"

"You know what I mean," Lilly replied, a faint smile crossing her lips. "Guardians, whatever you want to call them."

"Boyfriend?" Tori nudged Lilly with her elbow.

"Stop," Lilly muttered, blush creeping over her cheeks.

"Okay, fine. To answer your question, Bumblebee told me he was going to be on patrol, and I think Jolt is meeting us in the cafeteria. He wanted to see you," Tori replied.

"Why?"

"Not sure. Said he wanted to make sure you were okay after all that has happened."

"That's nice of him. How's he been doing for a guardian?"

Tori smiled, waving to a soldier as they walked by.

"He's great," she said. "I never thought I would be saying this, but having an alien robot as a friend is pretty cool."

"It sure is," Lilly said. A person at the end of the hall caught her eye, and her lips broke into a wide smile as a younger man with blue hair was waving at the two girls.

"Jolt!" Lilly cried, and she jogged towards him, giving him a hug. He returned it, and spun her around before placing her back onto the ground.

"Hey Lilly," he said, a set of straight, white teeth appearing as he gave a large smile. _Why must holoforms always be so perfect?_ Lilly said to herself. "Glad to see you're okay."

He hugged Tori, who gave a warm grin as she returned it.

"Thanks, it's nice to see that people care," Lilly muttered, rolling up the sleeves of her shirt.

"We _all_ care," Jolt and Tori said at the same time, laughing as they realized what had happened. Lilly cracked a smile, and gave a nod.

"I know. That's why you guys mean so much to me."

Jolt glanced back down the hallway, turning once again to face the two girls.

"Lilly, Optimus asked for you to see him after you eat. He has some important matters to discuss with you, but he wants to be alone. Is that alright?" Jolt asked.

Lilly sighed, but nodded her head. "Yeah, sounds good."

"Alright," Tori began to walk in the direction of the cafeteria. "Let's go get some breakfast!"

 **––––––––––**

"It is good to see that you are alright." The deep, baritone voice of Optimus Prime echoed across the metal walls of his quarters, and Lilly lifted her faceplates into a smile, but immediately closed her lip plates once she had communicated her gratitude.

"Me too, sir."

Optimus narrowed his optics at the way Lilly was speaking to him, which was in an almost formal way. The femme looked nervous, as he could tell by the way she wasn't entirely focused on the task at hand.

"Are you alright, Lilly?" he asked.

"I try to think that I am," she replied, shifting the weight on her pedes.

Optimus merely nodded, his optics studying her before giving a large vent.

"I accept that answer," he muttered. "I asked for you because as you know, Galloway has visited us, demanding for answers. I tried to explain to him that you do not know, but he insisted on seeing you in person. I apologize for any actions he may have done that were not necessary."

Lilly slowly blinked, before closing her optics, trying once again to picture where The Orb of Darkness could be. To no avail, she gave a grunt of frustration, and reopened her optics to find Optimus's gentle ones watching her.

"It's fine. I completely understand," Lilly responded.

"Did you speak with Primus when you fell unconscious?" Optimus asked.

"Yes," Lilly replied, nodding her helm. "He warned me that the Decepticons are very close to finding The Orb of Darkness. I also asked him what would happen to me, and he said he doesn't know. But whatever happens, it's my destiny, I guess."

Optimus was silent for a few minutes, thinking to himself. Lilly's mission did sound dangerous– expelling her energy from the Allspark could potentially harm, if not kill the femme. He didn't want to lose another member of his team from the Decepticon's evil ways, but he was afraid he wouldn't be able to save her.

"Are you okay with that? Possibly losing your life if whatever is supposed to happen works out?" Optimus asked.

Lilly looked at him, as if scrutinizing his meaning, before nodding her helm once more.

"Yes. If this is what I was born to do, so be it. I'm _not_ going to let our enemy steal the lives of billions of innocent people just to claim Earth. We are going to stop them, and I'm sure of it."

Optimus rarely smiled, but this speech from the small blue femme made his lip plates curl into a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Lilly. We plan to begin to head towards the west, tracking Decepticons along the way. I am sure that Primus will give you a warning of where the artifact is when the time is right."

"Me too," Lilly replied. The sound of one of the large, metal doors opening caught both of their attentions, and Lilly turned around to see Sideswipe standing in the doorway.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Lilly's family is here," the silver mech said, giving the femme a small smile.

Lilly froze, before beginning to walk to the door.

"Wait a minute," she muttered, pausing near Sideswipe. She closed her optics, and within seconds she had shrunk to her human form. "My parents don't know about me yet."

Sideswipe bent down and picked up the girl, placing her body into the palm of his servo.

"Bye, Optimus!" Lilly called as Sideswipe began to wheel out of the room, and Optimus nodded his helm towards her. She spun around and faced Sideswipe, grinning at him.

"What are you smiling about?" Sideswipe questioned, turning down a hallway that led to main hangar.

"I'm excited to see them, but still very nervous," she replied.

They had reached the hangar, and Lilly sighed, looking around on the floor to try to spot her family. She caught her eye on a woman with shoulder length hair, a small grin crossing her face, despite her racing heartbeat.

"Mom!" Lilly cried, and the woman turned toward the familiar voice, also accompanied by a man. Her mother's face lit up like a lightbulb, and she started to hurry towards Sideswipe.

Lilly tapped the mech's servo excitedly, and Sideswipe gently placed her on the ground. She slid off of his servo, and began to run towards her mother and father. Hardly noticing who was watching, the three wrapped their arms around each other once they made contact, and a small sob was heard by watchers of the family reuniting.

"My baby!" Lilly's mother crooned, her tears falling onto a nearby neck, which happened to belong to Lilly.

"I missed you so much," her father whispered, leaning his head against Lilly's.

"I missed you both more than anything," Lilly said, giving them one last squeeze before backing away.

Her mother wiped a tear from her cheek, sniffling. Lilly smiled at them, before turning towards the sound of approaching footsteps.

"That was sweet," Lennox said, chuckling lightly. He stopped next to Lilly, and nodded at her parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Roth, how are you?"

"We are fine, thank you, Major," Lilly's mother replied. "But please, call us Caroline and Jim."

"Alright, Caroline," Lennox said. She smiled at him, shifting her gaze towards Lilly.

"Darling, where is Bumblebee?" she asked.

"Right here," a voice said, and she jumped, laughing as the yellow mech crouched next to the family.

"You scared me! It's great to see you Bumblebee, I'm sure you've been taking great care of Lilly," she beamed.

Bumblebee blushed a little, a blue tint creeping onto his faceplates.

"I try my best to," he replied. "She means a lot to me." At this Lilly smiled happily, her eyes gazing up at the mech before her. He smiled back, and she walked by, patting his knee before motioning to her parents.

"Come on, I'll bring you on a little tour."

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 **I almost forgot about Lilly's parents coming... Oops! Next chapter we will get to see more about the truth behind Lilly and her family, and Lilly will reveal something to her parents that they may not be able to accept. Stay tuned!**

 **I know I haven't been getting a lot of reviews recently, which is fine. Although, I feel like something is wrong because of this. Is my story still interesting? Am I grammatically correct? Does my story make sense? Please let me know, I am open to constructive criticism!**

 **Have a great rest of your vacation, if you are in school! Until next time!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	30. Updates

Hi everyone,

I want to apologize for the lack of updating for both of my stories (Fix Your Heart & I Can't Lose You). Life has been SUPER busy for me and I can't find any time to write, let alone read and do other activities that I enjoy. School is pretty important this year, and I feel like I need to focus on that. Also, I'm in need of more ideas for my stories, so you could say I'm in a writers block. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to update the stories soon, so I'm really sorry about that. I hope you all understand.

But, the school year is pretty close to being done (only a few more months!), so I think I will definitely work on these stories more over the summer. I apologize if you have been waiting a while for updates, but I feel like my stories just haven't been as good as I wanted them to be, so perhaps I might start them over, or write new ones. I'm not sure.

I still am active on this account, I check when I have time to see if my favorite authors have updated their stories. If you want me to look at your account, please let me know! I also miss all of the reviews I used to get, so PLEASE leave one, and let me know how you are doing!

Hope to be back soon,

SapphireSpark


	31. The Truth

**Hey guys, I'm back! It feel so amazing to finally update this story, it's been forever! I just needed to get it out, I've had a major writers block, so I apologize if this chapter isn't the best... Although, I have some awesome plans for future chapters, so look out for those! Words can't explain how much I've missed writing this story, let alone writing in general. I hope you guys are just excited as I am! Also, thank you so much for your incredible support for me during some tough times... You all are truly amazing.**

 **Many thanks to SunnySidesFemme, lizy2000, Starlit Storyteller, The Silvernote, Skyelover101, and KayleeChiara for leaving reviews! They always put smiles on my face :)**

 **Now, time for the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

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 **Chapter 28: The Truth**

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"And now, we're back to the hangar," Lilly halted, turning around, giving her parents a wide smile.

"Honey, this is so wonderful that they're taking care of you," her mother said, looking around curiously. "After we heard about the attack at the college, we were so worried, and thought you were killed."

Lilly's eyes widened, and she frowned, a question popping into her head. "Guys?" she asked, and her parents looked at her with concerned expressions.

"Yes?" her father answered.

"I… I'm adopted, aren't I?" she said, and her mother and father immediately frowned.

"Look, sweetie," her mother began, but Lilly shook her head.

"No!" she yelled, and the hangar fell silent. "Why did you lie to me after all these years? I thought you were my _real_ parents, but it turns out I don't even have any!" She grit her teeth angrily, and Bumblebee hurried over, crouching next to the brunette.

"Lilly, you shouldn't yell at–"

"Stop!" she cried, her eyes turning to glare at Bumblebee. His optics widened, and his faceplates sunk, feeling hurt. "Bee, I can handle this," she said, after watching his reaction.

"No, she's right," her father spoke up, giving a large sigh. "She deserves to know."

"You were such a small little girl," her mother said, closing her eyes in remembrance. "We had gotten you from an orphanage, as the people had told us you had no identified parents. So, we decided to adopt you, since you were the perfect child for us. We fell in love with you from the moment we got you– always smiling, laughing, and so intelligent."

"We're sorry, Lilly," her father added. "We wanted to tell you the truth, but we were afraid that you would leave us, or be furious with us."

"I _am_ ," Lilly said, shaking her head. "I wish you guys had told me the truth before now. It's too late, I discovered something about myself that… Something that makes me special from any other human on this planet."

A silence filled the hangar, the majority of the soldiers and Autobots watching them. Bumblebee stood quietly behind Lilly, fearing that her parents wouldn't accept the truth about their adopted daughter.

"What are you talking about, sweetie?" Her mother asked, taking a few hesitant steps forward. Lilly backed away, hugging her hands close to her body as she bit her lip nervously, hands absentmindedly rubbing her arms. Despite being adopted, Lilly still cared for her foster parents, and she had built a strong connection with them from being an only child.

"I'm not a real human," she whispered, and the reaction from her parents was the opposite from what she thought it would be. They looked confused, as if she was speaking another language.

"Say again?" Her father questioned, and she spoke louder.

"I'm _not_ a human," she said, standing up straight. "See for yourself."

She took a deep breath, and allowed her transformation to begin, growing from a small human into a towering robot. Her mother shrieked, clutching her husband's arm, terrified at what had just happened. Eyes widened, the two stepped back, their heads tilted to stare at what had replaced their daughter.

"What did you do with our daughter?" Her father yelled, his eyes glaring at the robot in front of them. Lilly took a step back, hurt, but crouched to speak with them easier.

"Guys, it's still me, still your Lilly," she said, frowning as her father shook his head.

"No! You… You're not Lilly! What did you do with her?" He yelled once more, turning to look at the Autobots and soldiers. "I'm guessing it was _you_ who made her like this, huh? Something she's not? Because this," he pointed a finger to Lilly, "will _never_ be our daughter."

Lilly's optics widened, and her spark panged sadness, before sudden anger washed over her. She could feel her systems boiling, and she clenched her servos, stomping a pede on the ground. "Don't you dare accuse them!" She cried, and her parents began to back up even further away from her. "Do you think I _wanted_ this? I asked to be a Cybertronian? No! I never was a human, and I never will be! I was sent here for a reason, and you were the ones who raised me into who I am today, so what makes you think this," she motioned to herself, "isn't your daughter, when it's clearly me!"

Her mother's lip quivered, tears slipping down onto our cheeks. "How is it possible?" She asked, stepping in front of her husband. "You… You used to be a human! I just can't understand what happened!"

"I don't know, Mom, why don't you ask Primus? Or should I even call you that, since you clearly don't feel a connection with me! Look," Lilly said, venting heavily. "I know you're scared, and shocked at what has happened. I was too. But this, this is the _real_ me. I was sent here for a reason, and it's to save Earth."

Lilly's parents were silent for a few moments, and looked at each other, frowns crossing their faces. Her father sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, I believe it's you, Lilly. We don't need anymore proof. And I know you can save the world, if that's what you're destined to do. But Caroline and I…" He paused, leaving the hangar quiet, everyone waiting intently to hear his completed response. "We can't live like this anymore. You will always be our little girl in our hearts, but I'm afraid we need to let you _go_."

" _What_?" Bumblebee hissed, and many people started talking at once, shocked at what was just spoken. Lilly remained frozen, her optics staring at the ground, mouth hung open. A feeling of confusion, sorrow, and anger entered her spark, and her energon turned ice cold in panic. _Let her go?_ Her parents no longer wanted her, or loved her. They were afraid of her, didn't want anything to do with her, and Lilly felt more injured by the words than she had ever physically felt in her entire life.

"No!" She cried, and she sprinted out of the hangar, processor buzzing rapidly. Tears blurred her vision, and she choked back a sob, ignoring the cries of Bumblebee from behind her. Transforming into her alt form, she sped away, engine roaring loudly as she went outside, and onto the streets of DC. Her tires screeched loudly as she made a sharp turn onto the highway, huffing angrily as she spotted a familiar Camaro behind her.

:Lilly, you need to stop: Bumblebee opened a comm link.

She ignored his instructions, rather, she increased her speed, weaving in and out of the traffic.

:Lilly, don't do this! You have to stop!: Bumblebee commanded again, and Lilly growled.

:After what just happened? I never want to see those assholes again: She commed.

Taking an exit, she decided to head to a spot where she always would go when she felt troubled, or stressed. Driving through the forest, she came to an abrupt halt, transforming into a human.

It was the hill where she and Bumblebee had their first kiss.

She walked, the sun soaking into her skin, trying to forget what had happened earlier, but the words refused to leave her mind.

 _I'm afraid we need to let you go_.

Clenching her teeth, she gave a scream, squeezing her eyes shut as she collapsed onto the ground, her shoulders shaking as she began to sob. An engine in the distance caught her attention, but she refused to move. Maybe all she needed was a friend. Someone who actually cared about her.

The engine grew louder, until it was cut off, and a door slammed shut. The sound of footsteps walking through the grass filled her ears, and she froze as a hand gently touched her back. Looking up, she saw the holoform of Bumblebee looking at her, his bright blue eyes flickering across her face.

"Hey," he said softly, crouching next to her. His hand stroked across her forehead, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "I know you are probably feeling a million emotions right now." Lilly simply nodded, silent tears still slipping down her cheeks. "But I want you to know, we'll always be your family. We _are_ your family."

She sighed, her body trembling as a new wave of sobs hit her like a truck. "T-Thank you Bee, I mean it," she cried, and strong arms wrapped around her back, pulling her towards Bumblebee. "I just thought they would understand, that they would accept me, for who I am. But I guess they don't."

Bumblebee was silent for a few seconds, staring off into the distance. "They don't deserve you," he said. "They can't see how incredible you are, the hard work you have put into training, how courageous and strong you have become… How _beautiful_ you have always been. They just don't see it, but I can."

Lilly sniffed, wiping the palm of her hands across her face. Her chest warmed at Bumblebee's comment, and she turned to face him. "I love you," she said suddenly.

"What?" Bumblebee replied, his eyes widening in surprise, a blue tint creeping across his cheeks.

"I love you," Lilly repeated, "more than anything on this universe."

Bumblebee looked at her, a smile crossing his face, his spark beginning to race. He pulled her closer to him, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you too, Lilly," he softly said, and she grinned.

Lilly threw her arms around her boyfriend, taking a deep breath as she felt relieved at getting out the three words she had been so afraid to say. She knew she could no longer say them towards her foster parents, as Bumblebee was right; they no longer deserved her care. But, she couldn't feel any happier in that moment, knowing that Bumblebee loved her back. The feeling was more important to her than anything else; she needed it to keep going.

"Bee?" She asked, lifting her head from his shoulders.

"Yes?" He replied, his eyes gazing softly into hers.

"Can we stay here for the rest of the day? I don't really wanna go back to base right now," she said.

"Of course," Bumblebee said. Lilly grinned happily, leaning in to kiss him, moving her hands to his back. Bumblebee pulled her closer, his hand falling onto her lower back, while the other cupped her head.

"Wait," Bumblebee said, freezing as he pulled away. His head whipped towards the forest, scanning the tree line. Someone was there.

"What's wrong?" Lilly asked, looking over his shoulder. Her eyes widened in fear as they fell onto what Bumblebee was staring at, and he stood up, keeping Lilly behind his holoform. He turned to her, his eyes anxiously traveling over her face, spark racing.

" _Run_."

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 **Yay, another cliffie! ;) Please leave a review about what you think is gonna happen, or just anything in general! I know it was kinda sudden that her parents decided to shut Lilly out of their life, but they were never really her parents (just remember that). Also, I wanna thank you for over 50 follows and favorites on this story!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	32. Holding Out for a Hero

**Hello everyone! I apologize since it's been a few months since I updated this story, but I've finally found some free time to just be able to write! I got writer's block again with this chapter, so it may not be the best, but in the next one I'm super excited since something BIG will happen!**

 **Thank you to my reviewers: AutobotGuy710, The Silvernote, lizyeh2000, SunnySidesFemme, Skyelover101, KayleeChiara, mikeysrevenge, jgoss, and Bee4ever! You guys brighten my day :)**

 **To those who were kinda confused on Lilly's parents' reactions, they are explained a little more in this chapter. I hope it makes more sense (if it doesn't, let me know!)**

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 **Chapter 29: Holding Out for a Hero**

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Lennox watched as Lilly ran out of the hangar, Bumblebee following close behind. He grit his teeth, clenching his fists tightly as he walked up to Jim and Caroline, who were fearfully watching the angry crowd around them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Roth, please follow me," he said, as he began to walk towards a door in the hangar. They glanced at each other, before following the Major through the door, and up a staircase, taking a left turn as he led them into a conference room.

"Please, take a seat," he said, motioning to the circular table in the middle of the small room. They did, and he took a seat at the head of the table. The room was silent for a few moments, and Lennox stared at the couple, before shaking his head. "Why," he said, "why did you do that to her? To your daughter? To _Lilly_?"

Jim and Caroline frowned, both giving large sighs. Jim patted his wife's hand gently, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"She isn't our daughter," Jim said. "You heard her, she's adopted. Not our biological child."

"That doesn't mean she _isn't_ your daughter!" Lennox snapped, the image of his own child, Annabelle, popping into his mind. "No matter what, you raised her since she was a baby, and even if she was never human to begin with, you still should be there for her! You shouldn't just _shut_ her out of your lives!"

"Do you think we asked for this?" Caroline said, tears falling onto her cheeks once more. "Do you think we wanted Lilly to be thrown into some crazy alien robot war? No! Even though Bumblebee was watching over her, I still went to bed every night terrified that she could be ambushed, or attacked, even _killed_! We can't live like this," she cried, her shoulders trembling as she whispered, " _I_ can't live like this."

Lennox froze, letting the words of Caroline sink into his mind. "So you're afraid?" He asked.

"Yes," Jim replied. "As a robot now, she'll be in more danger, and we don't want to constantly be afraid about losing her. She's old enough now, that she doesn't need us. And I'm sure you all have become her new family, since she belongs with the Autobots." He gave a small smile, and wrapped an arm around Caroline, who was silently crying next to him. "We'll always still love our little girl, but finding out she was never human…" He paused, closing his eyes, "really took a toll on us. Although, I may have panicked a little earlier."

The Major nodded, somewhat understanding what the two meant. They were afraid, mostly of what Lilly had become, and he could tell through their voices that they were sorry. "Alright," he said. "Even though I still don't agree with what you're doing, I understand. I'll tell Lilly when she comes back. Now, let's get you both out of here, since I'm sure a lot of people are mad about what you said."

He stood up, Jim and Caroline following him out of the conference room. As they were walking down the hall, a large group of soldiers headed toward them, one of them calling out.

"Lennox, sir!" The soldier stopped near him. "We have just received a call, Bumblebee has alerted the base about something approaching DC! We need to act fast!"

"What?" Lennox said. He turned back to look at Lilly's parents. "I need you two to stay here, you hear me?" They nodded, and he took off down the hall at a sprint, praying it was a threat that they could handle.

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Lilly took a few hesitant step backwards, spark pounding heavily in her chest. She closed her eyes as she allowed herself to transform into her robot mode, getting a better look at what was in front of her.

At least twenty Decepticons were at the edge of the forest, their cannons and weapons pointed at the two Autobots. Lilly could pick out Barricade, Starscream, and Soundwave among them, the rest unfamiliar as she transformed her arm into a cannon, the energy within it crackling to life.

Bumblebee's holoform vanished in a shimmer of sparks, the yellow Camaro roaring to life as it sped forwards, transforming a mere feet away from Lilly.

"I thought I told you to run?!" The young mech shouted, nudging Lilly with his arm. His bright blue optics gazed at her with worry, before he let out a sharp gasp, pulling Lilly to the ground as they were fired at.

:I'm not leaving you here alone!: Lilly shouted over the comm link, pulling herself upwards as she aimed her cannon at an approaching Decepticon and fired. Blue energy shot out of her cannon, hitting the enemy square in the chest. She frowned as the screams of the Decepticon filled her audio receptors, it's body seeming to melt away from impact of the Allspark energy.

Lilly had practiced hundreds of times with Ironhide, but she never had the opportunity to test her weapon out on a Cybertronian, and her spark clenched with guilt as she watched her first victim collapse in front of her.

 _I just killed someone_ , Lilly thought, shaking her helm to clear the negative thoughts fluttering within her processor. She dodged a missile fired on her right, the weapon barely missing her body as she spun out of the way.

:Calling to base, is anyone there?: Bumblebee screamed over the comm link, desperately hoping to reach his comrades in time. He fired his cannon repeatedly, optics flickering back and forth to see any oncoming shots from the Decepticons.

:Bumblebee?: Optimus answered, and the yellow mech felt a slight relief as he grabbed Lilly's arm, dragging her down the hill as the two fled. They were greatly outnumbered, and if they were to remain on the hill, they would likely be dead within minutes.

:We're under attack by at least twenty Decepticons, and they're headed right towards the city!: Bumblebee continued to sprint, Lilly right next to him.

"Ow!" Lilly cried out, stumbling as a bullet hit the back of her shoulder. She clenched her denta tightly in an attempt to fight the pain, firing blindly behind her as they reached a forest, crashing through the trees. For what seemed like hours they ran, although it was only a few minutes, before Bumblebee opened his lip plates to speak.

"They're getting really close to the city!" Bumblebee yelled to her, refusing to let go of her servo. Lilly nodded, glancing behind her, only to find no trace of any Decepticons.

"Where'd they go?" Lilly stopped, venting air heavily through her systems in an attempt to cool down. She released Bumblebee's servo, rubbing her own absentmindedly across her chest plates. The forest around them was silent, shadows casted from the looming, dense trees creating an eerie atmosphere.

"I don't know," Bumblebee muttered, turning in a slow circle to assess their surroundings. "Did we lose them?"

Lilly shrugged, hissing as pain shot through the spot on her back where she had been shot. Hesitantly, she brought her servo to the area, immediately pulling it back when she felt a warm and sticky liquid come in contact with the metal of her servo.

"Is that energon?" Bumblebee asked, glancing at the bright blue substance on Lilly's servo. "Did you get hurt?"

Lilly nodded, turning to show him where she had been shot. "I'm fine, really," she said, turning back to face him before he could touch it.

Bumblebee raised his optic ridge, giving Lilly an incredulous look, but decided not to push her. "We need to–"

A series of faint shrieks and calls for help made the mech pause, his helm whipping in the direction of the noises. Lilly darted forward, grabbing Bumblebee's arm, her cannon whirring to life once more as her sensors picked up the sounds from coming nearby.

:I can see the edge of the forest!: Lilly yelled over their comm link, the break in the trees revealing a road. The two Autobots burst through the treeline and onto the hard cement, almost colliding with each other as they halted, taking in their surroundings.

"Oh Primus," Lilly whispered, her knees giving way as she collapsed onto the ground, mouth falling open.

In front of them lied a wreckage of cars, most flattened or split in half, shrapnel scattered hundreds of feet beyond the mess. Bodies of those trying to flee were everywhere, bent at weird angles or missing limbs. The sounds of sirens wailing and explosions came from within the city, the Decepticons already having gone too far.

"All of these innocent people…" Bumblebee trailed off, shaking his helm. He bent to comfort Lilly, but the femme quickly stood up, turning to face him.

"We can't stop here and mourn," she said, closing her ocean blue optics for a few moments before reopening them. "We need to help save the city."

Bumblebee nodded, refusing to look at the bodies on the ground as he moved forwards, heading towards an adjacent road. "We need to split up. You'll be okay, right?"

"You don't need to worry about me," Lilly said, venting air through her systems. She gave him a small smile, before the two split paths, and she continued down the road.

Foundations of houses and apartment buildings rested on the sides of the road, completely demolished as fires raged on. _The Decepticons must have just ran through here, blowing up anything in their path_ , Lilly thought, before a loud shriek brought her to reality.

"Help, someone, please!" The voice sounded masculine, and Lilly quickened her pace, sensors picking up a Decepticon a hundred yards away. She sprinted, turned around a corner and into a new neighborhood, almost stopping as her optics fell onto a Decepticon pointing a cannon at a man clutching a baseball bat, a woman and small child hiding behind him.

"Hey, you!" She yelled, and both the man and Decepticon looked at her. Lurching forwards, she dodged a shot fired from the Decepticon, growling as she threw her frame onto it, the two tumbling onto the ground. Pointing her cannon into its chassis, it mumbled words of a different language, although it sounded desperate.

"I'm sorry, but you messed with the wrong femme and the _wrong_ planet," Lilly hissed, allowing her cannon to fire into the Decepticon. It gave a ferocious scream before its body stilled, the Allspark energy tearing apart its frame in a matter of seconds.

Lilly stood up, turning to look at the terrified man, woman, and child. "Are you alright?"

"Please, don't hurt us," the man said, his body visibly shaking. His hair was messy, dirt and soot covering his face and arms, a few small injuries noticeable on his bare skin.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm an Autobot, the good guys," Lilly replied, bending to get a closer look at the humans. The man froze, considering Lilly's response, before he pointed a shaking finger at a burning house behind him.

"T-This was our house. We just escaped in time, but…" He trailed off, grabbing the hand of the trembling woman, trying to calm down the sobbing little boy in her arms. Lilly frowned, her spark panging in guilt at the sight of the family's destroyed home.

"You need to get out of here. As far away from the city as you can," Lilly said, lifting her helm up as she heard the sound of distant explosions and gunshots. "It's not safe."

The man nodded, ushering the woman towards a nearby car. He dropped the baseball bat he had been holding in his hand, and gave a smile to Lilly. "Thank you. For saving the lives of my wife and child, as well as myself."

"You're welcome," Lilly replied, before heading down the road, following the sound of war.

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Bumblebee sprinted down the road, on the heels of a Decepticon. His cannon whirred to life as he fired it, although to no avail. His shots kept missing as the Decepticon dodged them, diving behind buildings for cover as the Autobot continued to chase him.

Suddenly, Bumblebee was tackled to the ground, and the sound of a cackling laugh echoed through the air, reverberating across the towering buildings. He grunted, optics widening as the hideous face of Starscream came into view, the Decepticon holding the yellow mech's arms tightly to his sides.

"Happy to see us, Autobot?" Starscream hissed, missiles appearing on the plating on his arms. "I think it's time for me to finally end you."

The Seeker let out a scream as a nearby explosion sent him flying off of Bumblebee, crashing into a wire fence. Something gave a loud thud as it landed next to the Autobot, and Bumblebee turned his helm, gasping as the faceplates of his savior came into view.

"Firewarp?" He asked gently, standing up as the young Seeker offered him a servo.

"You okay?" Firewarp asked, wings twitching in anger as he stared at Starscream struggling to stand up.

"Yeah, thanks for saving me," Bumblebee said, giving a small smile to the ex-Decepticon in front of him.

Starscream let out a feral growl as he regained his balance, metal crunching beneath his pedes. "You!" He pointed a digit at Firewarp, blood-red optics narrowing in pure hatred. "I never thought you would betray us, Firewarp. Or should I even call you that, _traitor?_ "

Bumblebee glanced at Firewarp, who took a few steps forward, servos clenched tightly. "I'm not going to take orders from you 'Cons any longer," Firewarp hissed, "I want to be an Autobot."

Starscream shook his helm, chuckling darkly as he charged his cannon. "Bad move," he said, before firing his weapon. Both Bumblebee and Firewarp dove out of the way, tumbling on the cement.

There was a sharp sound of metal grinding and hissing as Starscream transformed into his alt form, shooting off into the sky.

"That fragger!" Bumblebee yelled, firing his cannon at the Decepticon, but missing as Starscream disappeared from view.

"I can go after him," Firewarp said.

Bumblebee gave him a pat on the back, smiling gratefully. Firewarp gave a nervous nod, before he backed up, jumping into the air. Within seconds, the small form of Firewarp was replaced with an F-22 Raptor fighter jet, taking off into the sky with the roar of its engines.

Bumblebee turned in the direction the previous Decepticon had disappeared, and took off at a sprint, dodging abandoned cars and pieces of buildings that had been blown apart.

It was time that they saved the city, once and for all.

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 **As you can see, Firewarp is back! I really love him, if only he was a real Transformer xD I'm not the best at writing action scenes, and it feels a bit rushed to me, but I just needed to get it out of my head and onto a document.**

 **Although I can't promise any updates soon, I'll definitely try my best to update this story more than just once a month! All of you who are patient deserve it :)**

 **Please leave reviews, as I love to know your thoughts/opinions on the story so far!**

 **(Credits to Bonnie Tyler and her song 'Holding Out For A Hero' for the title of this chapter)**

 **– SapphireSpark**


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